The Colour of Blood
by Guumypie
Summary: "So whats my reason for being here then" "You're such a valuable ally to us Elie, why would we want you to leave the KG?" "Because, I can control red eco, one of the most powerful forms of eco left, when all you've got is a few pawns. You're afraid of me" Could I suck at summaries anymore? OC central. May be pairings further in, hint hint.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok here we go with an actual first chapter, I've just finished editing and reviewing a few chapters so the authors notes are all more up to date so just read on and I hope you enjoy~**

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Ten years ago, That's when it started.

I have no memory of any time before that.

_"Hey Erol, do all kids have a Mommy and Daddy."_

_"Not everyone, no. You see Elie your special that's why you don't need them."_

_"But I have you right!"_

_"Of course"_

I was too naïve as a young girl, no older than seven I trusted every friendly face.

Look where I ended up because of it.

* * *

"Elie, I'm locking up, you shouldn't stay around much longer."

"I still have some research to do.."

Erol sighed throwing me the keys for the research lab.

"Don't forget them on your way out."

"I won't, bye bye."

"See ya."

I was left to my thoughts again.

This was the fourth night in a row I had stayed back late in this room, there was something I was trying to work out.

"Now, how does one suddenly contract the ability to control eco?"

I sat staring at a blank holo-screen for a while before letting out a tired groan and resting my head on the desk.

"I don't even know where to start.." This was also the fourth night in a row with no progress.

You see ever since I can remember I have been able to channel red eco, a power source thought to have been worn out. The only known eco left now is dark eco and green eco. This is the reason why I'm sitting here at two in the morning trying to figure out why I have red eco.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty happy with this ability, it's gotten me a job in the Krimson Guard, well Erol helped with that, but anyway it's something to do and I can also use my status to gain information on eco and figure out why I'm an eco channaler.

If I didn't have this job I would be sitting in my apartment alone with very little to do, which is what I ended up doing for a few years before anyone even thought about letting me join the guard. I couldn't control my powers back then so it was dangerous to allow me out on my own.

I have an extensive knowledge since I spent almost every waking hour reading. I trained a lot too and learned to ride zoomers, so by the age of sixteen I was fighting fit and ready to join the KG.

There were still some objections because I was a girl and still a little too young. If not for Erol I wouldn't have this job, he watched over me since I was young and knew exactly what my potential was.

I'm leaving one important detail out though.

I stayed with the underground group who opposed the Barron of our city for about a year.

Their leader, Torn, had known me almost as long as Erol. He left the KG because he didn't agree with some experiments they were carrying out. He told me I shouldn't stay around with any of them that it wasn't safe. I was taken to their hide out and trained for a year there while I was fifteen.

One day though while I was out just walking around the city, I saw some commotion with KG and went to take a look. Erol was there and first instinct was to go to him.

Of course he questioned where I had been but he didn't give much time for me to answer before he decided we would 'talk later.' I had shown up at a bad time apparently, a couple of KG were carrying, well more like dragging, a young boy. I tried asking Erol what happened but he just told me I should go home.

The year after that, I joined the KG, I was first assigned to prison watch.

I got to sit around all day just keeping an eye on the criminals behind metal doors.

Some shouted rude comments and some stayed quiet, It didn't bother me, I just kicked back and took the job on in my stride.

I had come across the same boy from a year ago a few more times, apparently he didn't talk much and I still didn't know what he had done to wind up in prison, on the Barons Dark Warrior Project no less.

I was one of few people who knew about the project but I still didn't entirely know what it involved until a few months ago.

Does it make me want to quit the KG? Maybe a little, but I can't go anywhere just yet.

I sighed and stood up from my desk, I had been sitting here for an hour not knowing what to do, might as well go home.

I took the keys Erol had given me and locked the door, threw on my jacket and headed back to my apartment.

It wasn't a long ride from the KG HQ to my apartment. I felt pretty sleepy standing in the lift and waiting for it to reach my floor.

I lived in one of the more modern apartments in Main Town at the very top of the complex, even if it is only three stories high it's something only a few KG could afford.

Most people in Haven city, if they aren't KG or important, live in the slums, well, what's left of them from the damn metalheads.

Once I reached the top floor and got into my apartment I stumbled into my room and slumped down on my bed.

"Today was a long day." I mumbled before finding the strength to stand up and take off my cloths.

It was winter and I get pretty cold pretty easily so I put the heat up full blast before getting changed.

I lay back down in bed and pulled the covers up over my head.

I didn't fall asleep right away like I hoped I would. I held one hand in front of me and watched as it became enveloped in red eco.

"Where did you come from?" I said into the silence.

I fell asleep soon after and was woken up by something hitting me in the head.

I shot up into a sitting position and after getting over my confusion glared at Erol.

"How did you get in here?" I asked crossing my arms still glaring at him.

He just rolled his eyes.

"Lock your door next time maybe?"

"O-oh.."

"Come to HQ quickly, the Baron wants to talk to you."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"You weren't answering, you sleep like a log"

"Do not!" I huffed and picked up what Erol had thrown at me. It was just the usual mail nothing new.

"Thanks."

"You welcome, now hurry up, I'll meet you outside."

I mumbled under my breath about how uptight he was being but got up and went to shower anyways.

Once I was showered and dressed in only part of my KG gear I made my way outside where Erol was waiting.

"Took your time"

"I'm too tired to care right now." I lazily replied.

"Anyway, since you came all this way, and for bringing in my mail for me, how 'bout a race?"

Erol just laughed at me.

"What!? You don't think I could win?"

"Elie, seriously, how many times have you raced me and you have yet to win even one race"

"I have a good feeling this time!"

He shook his head smirking but started his zoomer up anyways.

"Take the long way around and through the slums, first one to HQ wins."

I hopped onto my own zoomer and didn't wait to count down before taking off. Seconds later however Erol was beside me.

"Cheater"

I ignored him and changed hover zones, swerving in-between the other zoomers and cars.

He doesn't really care if I cheat, he knows he'll win anyways.

'Well not today.' I thought taking a short cut I had found a few days ago.

It lead me through a different route but not so much that I couldn't see our usual one. Every so often I would catch a glimpse of Erol through the buildings. After another minute or so I lost sight of him and really thought I had beaten him at long last. As I approached the entrance to the KG HQ however I saw him leaning against the wall smirking at me.

I parked the zoomer and slid off sitting down on the ground beside it.

"Why can't I beat you even once!? What's so wrong with letting me win?"

"Even if I let you win, you would know I never lose." He reached a hand out to me, I grabbed it and he pulled me up.

"We'll see mister 'Class one Racer', I bet one day someone will show up and kick your ass all the way to Dead Town."

He just chuckled at that.

"Ye and when that day comes I will be your personal servant for a week."

"You're so full of yourself you know that?" I kicked him in the back of the knee before running ahead of him into the lift and closing the doors.

I waited at the top for him and smiled once he exited the lift. He didn't say a word to me so I just followed behind him, with a small smirk, into the control room. Once we were inside, the Baron was already standing around waiting.

I don't hold much respect for the Baron but I have to at least try if I want to keep my job. Erol on the other hand devotes most of his time to following the Barons orders. As Erol respectively bowed upon entering I just gave a lazy salute.

"Well it's about time you got here." Baron Praxis shouted across the room at us.

I let out a sigh, now he's just going to lecture for a while before actually telling us why we're here.

"Our apologies, there was a delay on the way here, a simple accident we needed to attend to."

I took a glance at Erol, It's not like him to lie to the Baron, he must be as tired as I am.

"I don't care for your excuses, I have an important mission for the two of you." The Baron led us over to a holo-map in the middle of the room.

"There have been readings of high and concentrated amounts of dark eco around the slums lately, I think you both know what that means."

Oh of course we do.

"Your experiment is on a rampage again Erol?" I threw him a small smirk as he just glared at me. He didn't like being reminded how much he messed up with this kid.

"I'll see to it that it's taken care of right away, Elie round up a team and go find him."

"What?! Why me? It's your problem not mine."

"Because I have more important things to do then run around after some dark eco freak and we all know regular weapons don't work well against him." Erol shot me a glance that read 'Don't ask questions just do it.'

"Alright, I'm going, but I expect the rest of the day off after this."

"Granted, now go."

Here we go again, they always send me out after this guy, they think just because I can use red eco that it's a piece of cake for me to just walk right up to him and bring him back to HQ.

This is the third time in two weeks I will have tried and failed to do so.

I didn't bother using my zoomer or assembling a team like Erol told me to.

Hellcats attract too much attention anyways.

I scaled one of the old crumbling houses on the outskirts of the slums and made my way around on the roof tops. I was in plain sight but the people recognised me and they know by now I have no intentions of starting trouble, and I like high places.

I already knew where I needed to go if I wanted to catch the kid without causing a fuss.

I waited on the roof just above the hideout for the underground. I haven't been in there for over a year, and I don't really want Torn to find me so I made sure to take cover when I heard the door open.

But lucky me, the person who came out wasn't Torn but instead exactly who I was looking for.

"Yo, Kid?"

He turned around to face me giving me a perplexed look, probably wondering why I was on the roof.

He hasn't changed a bit over the last year, although he does have the addition of a crazy rat on his shoulder.

"Well look who it is, nice to see you again sweet cheek's" The said rat has this uncanny ability to talk, which bothers me quite a bit with his constant flirting.

I jumped down from the roof and dusted myself off before glaring at the rodent.

"Don't even try it"

"What do you want?"

"Ohh touchy today aren't we" I sighed, this guy wasn't wasting any time.

"The Barron wants you to take it easy, if he keeps getting these readings of eco eventually he's not just going to send me and some worthless scouts to come get you." He nodded and I decided that was enough for today and climbed back up to the roof tops.

"See ya 'round kiddo" I just heard a disapproving grunt before taking off back for HQ.

Then I remembered, I had been promised the rest of the day off.

"Hey do you two need any help, ye know, saving a muse from a tree or something?"

They both glance at each other before looking back to me.

"Why would a KG want to be around us?"

"Yeah and why would we want you around anyways?" The rat piped in.

I just shrugged, It never did bother me weather I was KG or not and I didn't think others should care either.

Like I said I'm not too fond of our dear Baron, I don't always obey his laws and orders.

"Just a thought."

I decided to just head to the Hip Hog, as much as I hated Krew it was good way to pass the time.

I had to head back to HQ anyways to pick up my zoomer, these are the moments I wish I was in the underground again and I could just take whatever zoomer I wanted.

I was pretty bored in the city at the moment, nothing was really happening. No accidents and nothing big with the underground, (apart from the kid of course) Not even the Metalheads were bothering us much inside the city anymore.

'Erol said this was an easy job, but after a year it's just too easy, I haven't even used my eco in at least three weeks' I thought to myself as I pulled up outside the not so glamorous bar.

I peeked in and didn't see Krew floating around so I wandered up to the bar to order something, I wanted to be out of here before he did show up.

"Hey Tess."

"Oh, Elie! Hey! Gosh you look a mess."

I was slightly taken aback by that and quickly looked at myself in the mirror behind the bar while Tess got my usual drink.

She wasn't kidding, I looked exhausted, probably from all the late nights and early mornings. Maybe I could ask Erol for a break?

"Just not sleeping the best that's all, I've spent a lot of time running around after some kid in the underground too, Erol wants me to bring him in but honestly, it's quite fun having him roam around the city." So maybe I didn't spend that much time running after him but I wasn't going to tell her all about the eco business.

"Could it be the same guy Torn took on a few weeks ago?"

"The very one."

Tess passed me my drink smiling.

"So you're the KG he's been complaining about this whole time."

"Seriously? I'm nothing but nice to the guy, I could easily get him back to the KG HQ if I wanted to trust me." I took a sip from my drink and slumped down on the bar a bit.

"Speak of the devil." Tess leaned down and whispered to me before disappearing off to the back room.

I just turned and caught his eye as he walked in the door giving a small wave before turning back to my drink.

"Twice in one day? I aint even gonna call it an accident anymore." Oh goody, the rat was back.

"Why don't you go back to sunshine's shoulder over there before I skin ya and feed you to Krew." I said slamming my drink back down mere millimetres from where he stood on the bar top.

"You know Krew." 'Sunshine' had decided to take up the bar stool next to me and all of a sudden was up for a little conversation.

"Thought you didn't like KG."

"I just need answers."

"What's it to you if I do know Krew?"

"Are you going to answer my question or not."

"Well now that's the longest sentence I have ever heard you speak, and to me too, I feel honoured." I drawled my voice dripping with sarcasm which the kid didn't like.

I sighed.

"Are you even old enough to be in here?"

"Are you?"

"Touché. Let's leave it at that shall we and to answer your question, yes I do know Krew. But why would you be looking for a slime ball like him?"

"Like I'm gonna tell a KG like you."

"Ohh, that was harsh, but you will tell me because I kinda like you, so I've been letting you go these past few weeks and I think you owe me."

"Are you sure you're not just too lazy to actually fight me?"

I burst out laughing at that, this kid was great.

"Trust me Sunny, you don't wanna pick a fight with me."

I would have loved to continue our little conversation but I could hear Krew mumbling and probably complaining in the back room so I decided to take my leave. I downed the last of my drink and slid off my bar stool.

"Well, I'll see ya round kid, we both know it won't be too long before I'm sent out after ya again."

I mock bowed and he just scowled at me.

"Don't call me kid." There's that sunny attitude again.

"Alright, so what should I call you the, hm?"

"I'm surprised you still don't know with the amount of trouble I seem to give you KG."

"It's not a popular phrase that we throw around or anything, and some of us have our own pet names for you."

"Jak."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"It's so…simple? I dunno, it's just, for someone full of dark eco and all." I whispered the last bit a little, didn't want to cause any trouble I would have to sort on my day off.

"Can't guarantee you I'll use it all the time though. Well I have better places to be so, see ya Jak."

"Hey, what about you?"

"Elie" I half waved and made my way out of the bar just as I heard Krew emerge from the back.

I hopped back on my zoomer and headed off home for a nap and maybe another drink.

'What an interesting day this has been'

I got the feeling I'd be running into the Kid a lot more from now on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Another reviewed chapter so not much to put in here for the authors note, ARGH!**

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When I did make it back to my apartment (after a few detours) I decided to not have just one drink but a few…Ok, a lot.

I was really going to pay the price for that in work today. I suppose I can get carried away quite easily.

I didn't want to get up right away, I didn't even want to be awake, I had a pounding headache and I just mumbled and moaned into my pillow and promised I would never drink again.

Eventually the sound of my phone ringing (which sounds a lot more like a screech when your heavily hung over) brought me to raise my head and check the caller ID. If it wasn't important I wasn't answering.

Well, shit.

It was Erol, there two down sides to this now.

He's going to want me for work related stuff so I have to answer and he knows me too well and will instantly realize just how hung over I am and he won't let me forget it for the whole day.

I picked up my phone and lay back down answering it.

"What?" I said into the phone trying not to sound like I was in too much pain.

"_Just making sure you're not late, you have a mission report to fill in and a meeting with the Baron."_

"Whatever, five more minutes."

"…_Your hung over again aren't you."_

"…No…"

Well fuck.

I heard a sigh from Erol on the other line.

"_What did you decide to do once you failed to bring back our experiment and then took the day off anyway?"_

"**Your** experiment, and I went to the Hip Hog but I swear I only had one drink." Even though Erol couldn't see it I held one hand up as a sort of "scout's honour"

"_And when you got home?"_

"What kind of a question is that?"

"_Elie…"_

Another sigh.

"I kind of maybe got carried away? I have a lot on my mind you know."

"_You have some of the unhealthiest ways of stress release, just don't be too late got it."_

"Yes sir!"

I hung up and quickly buried my head back into my pillow although it was no use trying to sleep.

I slid out of bed and wandered into the kitchen to make some coffee and while I waited fumbled around to try and find some pain killers.

I was dressed before the coffee was finished so I quickly drank it and pulled on my jacket as I left.

The palace is about a two minute walk from my apartment but it was still torture in the early morning cold. I wasn't in the mood for a mission report, I've used every excuse in the book at this point and with this splitting head ache I doubt todays excuse will be very good.

I took the lift and made my way to Erol's office where he was sitting at his desk, I didn't bother with a greeting and just grabbed the papers from him and sat in the chair across from him as I began to write.

"Well good morning to you too sunshine."

I laughed. Then grimaced, not a good idea to laugh when you have a splitting headache.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing! Will you keep it down, I'm dying here."

I swear I saw him smirk, he's just going to make this day more difficult than it needs to be.

I was only a third of the way into my mission report before I heard Erol's phone ring.

Remember what I said about a phones ring sounding like a screech when you have a hang over?

Well Erol just let his phone ring.

I tried to bare it for as long as I could so eventually he would just give up and answer it, but he knows exactly how much pain I'm in.

I slammed my pen onto the desk and glared at him.

"What?"

"Answer your fucking phone you dick head."

He looked like he was about to burst out laughing but held it back and answered the god damn thing. I went back to writing.

When I was close to finished my report, that bastard started making as many annoying and loud noises as he could. It started off with shuffling papers, then tapping his pen against the desk and so on. I was not going to let that get to me.

Then the fucking phone rang again, but not his one, it was an office phone planted right beside where I was sitting, with an even higher pitched ring tone.

After a few seconds of him not answering it I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Are you going to get that?"

"Can you get it?"

"Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Well so am I." He started tapping the desk with the pen again.

I had had enough with this constant noise, maybe someone who wasn't suffering with a huge hangover wouldn't find this annoying in the slightest, but it was putting me in a lot of pain and really ticked me off. And he knew it.

Before thinking I slammed my fist onto the desk. I was so pissed off though that I lost control over my eco for a split second and rammed my fist right through it.

"Fucking hell Erol! Would it kill you to be a little more considerate?"

He seemed sort of shocked, not at my outburst he knows I have a short fuse which is why he enjoys pissing me off, but probably because I haven't lost control over my eco in years.

"…you broke my desk."

"For Mar's sake." I retracted my hand from the desk and slumped back in my chair bushing my hair back from my face.

"Elie your hand!"

I looked down at the hand I had hit the desk with and sure enough it was bleeding, not a lot but enough that I needed to tend to it.

"Fuck it all!" I shouted standing up a little too quickly and feeling like I was about to pass out before making my way to the bathroom.

I was so angry I forgot I had a hangover. For about two seconds, then it came back with a vengeance.

I rinsed the blood from my hand and held a towel to it until the bleeding stopped, I would put a bandage on it later. I wasn't really in the mood for going back to the office, even if I should apologise, it's his fault for pissing me off. If he wasn't being an annoying bastard I would have been able to keep my eco in check.

I knew exactly where I was going to go.

I made my way to the very top of the palace, a few years ago I had found a way out onto the roof, the HQ was the tallest building in Haven City so it was nice to sit up there where very little noise could reach and no one would find me.

I sat with my knees bent up to my chest as I rested my head on them.

This day sucked so much, I should have stayed in bed Erol and his stupid mission report could have waited, not that it mattered anyway I was having a hard time coming up with a convincing story as to why I hadn't been able to catch Jak yesterday.

The breeze up here was colder then down on the ground and I hadn't taken my jacket with me.

I started to shiver slightly but just didn't want to have to go back into that damned place and work myself sick.

To be honest I didn't like a lot of what the Krimson Guard did under both the Baron and Erol. They have killed innocent people so many times, I tried to avoid doing so for as long as I could but, desperate times call for desperate measures I suppose. Even though people tell me it's unhealthy I have kept a mental note of all the people I have killed, innocent or not. I'm just so glad there aren't that many kids around the city.

I've built a wall around myself over the past year. Most people I know would say I'm a cheerful person, but just like anyone else I can have days like this where I just want to curl up in bed and never leave. I don't have any family as far as I know and very few close friends. Erol's kind of as close as it gets with either.

I took a deep breath and looked out over the city, it's such a miserable place. You kind of get used to it though.

"You'll catch a cold up here."

I turned slightly, I was surprised anyone would find me here. It was Erol of course.

"How's your hand?"

I shrugged. "I'll live."

I didn't like arguing with people, but I didn't feel like talking much either. I just stayed where I was.

I heard Erol sigh and walk closer to me, he draped something around my shoulders which turned out to be my jacket, and sat down next to me.

"How did you know I was up here?"

It was his turn to shrug.

"Lucky guess, you used to sit on the roof when you were angry or upset as a kid, remember?"

I smiled, I did remember that, I even found a muse one time.

"I also remember you would have happily left me there for days."

It's true to an extent, If I hadn't have come back down for food, I'm sure Erol was quite happy not having me pestering him while he worked.

"Your appetite is so big I always knew you wouldn't stay up there for long."

This is what keeps me sane these days, just regular talks like this. Nothing about the KG or Metalheads, wars, experiments the DWP or Eco.

"If you're still not up for it you can take the day off, the Baron called off your meeting anyway and nothing has happened all day, you should get some rest, I know how hard you've been working lately and if I find anything that might help with your research I'll let you know."

I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, and uh…I'm sorry for breaking your desk, and shouting at you. I'm just not in a good mood is all."

"Don't worry about it, I shouldn't have pissed you off, I forgot you could probably kill me if I'm not careful."

I chuckled a bit and stood up.

"At least I wasn't aiming for your face right?"

He smiled.

"At least you weren't aiming for my face."

I started to make my way down from the roof and back inside with Erol following behind.

"How did you manage to get up there, while hungover?"

I smiled "I'm a natural climber."

"That you are, anyway I'll call you when I'm finished here, the Baron still wants to talk to me but I shouldn't be too late, we can go for a drink if you want?"

I groaned.

"Nope, no way. I am never ever drinking again."

"We'll see how long that lasts."

I waved to Erol as he walked toward the throne room and I made my way outside. I wanted to go home and change this time before wandering around, I feel more comfortable not being in my KG gear, the armour is heavy and annoying and I hate the way people look at me like I'm going to put a gun to their head.

I got home changed and bandaged up my hand. After taking some more pain killers I relaxed on my couch fell asleep.

I woke up feeling a good bit better, still a slight headache. I wanted to head out and walk around for some fresher air. I contemplated bringing a gun along with me, Haven City isn't the safest place around but I figured with my eco I should be ok

I wandered around the Bazaar for a while, if anything interesting was going to happen it would be here or the slums (Ideally I would like to go to the pumping station and fight some metal heads but when a KG leaves the city they know instantly back at HQ)

After maybe fifteen minutes I was bored out of my mind, nothing was happening. What's wrong with this city lately? I was ready to give up and go home to sleep when I saw a very familiar blonde head walking in the opposite direction. I ran to catch up with him then matched my pace to his.

I looked up at Jak smiling and he just shook his head.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else?"

"Maybe."

I looked up at him as he sighed, he knew he wasn't getting rid of me.

And I'm just noticing how small I must look compared to him.

"Could you be somewhere else?"

I shrugged.

"Could you?"

He stayed quiet after that.

"Soo, what are you two doing then? Underground stuff? Can I come?"

"No."

"Awww you're no fun."

There were a few minutes of silence as I walked along behind the two before I piped up again.

"You walk really fast you know that?"

He turned and stared at me, not looking all too happy.

"You're unbelievable, didn't I tell you to leave?"

"But you have no idea what it's like being a KG with nothing to do!"

"Well find something that doesn't involve sticking your nose where it isn't wanted." He turned to walk off but I shouted at him.

"You owe me a fight anyways."

"I what?"

"You heard me, yesterday you said I was too 'lazy' to fight you, well now I'm asking for one!"

His rat (whose name I had learned was Daxter) peaked at me from around his shoulder.

"Are you trying to piss him off? trust me you don't wanna see him when he's really pissed off."

"Oh? And whys that? Is it the eco?"

"It's what that bastard Baron and his Krimson Guard did, and you're just another one of them" He turned on me glaring and I glared right back.

"Don't group me with those low lives, it's not the most enjoyable job around you know!"

"You really wanna fight me?"

"Bring it on Kiddo."

I made my way over to him and pulled my fist back, releasing red eco into it and aiming right for his face.

But what happened next really shocked me.

He put his hand up to block me, which I thought would fail because of the sheer power of red eco.

But it didn't.

He grabbed my fist right before it made contact with his face. I was so stunned I didn't know what to do. No one has ever been able to pull something like that. Not even his dark eco would match up to that strength. What's going on?

Before I could gain my composer again he grabbed my arm and flipped me onto my back. The wind was pushed out of my lungs and I sat up coughing. Normally I would have concentrated eco into my body for an impact like that but I was just so shocked.

"What the fuck did you do?" I said in-between coughs.

"I could ask you the same thing, why are you able to use red eco?"

I sat up was about to give him an earful but, how does he know what red eco is like?

No one has come across red eco in hundreds of years, and not only does he recognise it but, he stopped it. Who is this kid?

"Well it looks like I picked the right guy to bug."

"Answer my question."

"No you answer mine! What did you do to my eco!"

I heard Daxter chuckle.

"You see toots, our boy here is an eco channaller, like you I guess."

I was trying to work my head around that, eco channallers can only harness one eco, they can't do stuff like that!

"I thought the Baron pumped him full of dark eco?"

"I'm not like you, I absorb eco."

"No shit? So that's why the DWP didn't kill you, your body just accepts eco like that."

"Pretty much."

"Huh, well-"

I was about to ask something else when I heard my phone ring. I fumbled to get it out of my pocket and answered already knowing it would be Erol.

"Are you finished then?"

"_Yes, so where have you wondered off to?"_

"Hmm, just hanging around, I'll meet you at the palace ok."

"_Take your time, wouldn't want to rush you would we?"_

I laughed.

"Oh of course not Erol."

I hung up and stuffed the phone back in my pocket.

"Did you say Erol?"

I stood and turned to Jak.

"Yes…why?"

He let out a sound that was close to a growl and I raised a brow at him.

"You got a bone to pick with the commander?"

"Elie I'm warning you now, he's not good in any way, and if I were you I wouldn't be around him."

"You don't know me then, and why would you care anyways? I've been around Erol almost my whole life and I'm just fine."

"**Almost** fine." Jak said tapping his head.

Was it just me or was he making a joke?

"Well kid how bout you worry about yourself and I'll worry about me, deal?" I mock saluted and made my way back to the palace.

Honestly though, I was still trying to get my head around all that eco stuff. I didn't fully understand the way Jak used eco. At least now I could start my research again. I also wondered if I should tell Erol, but then he would wonder how I knew and I like the kid I don't want him in any more trouble.

* * *

"So you're sure you don't want to go for a drink?"

"Positive, that crap is evil."

I had made my way back to the palace and was now sitting up on one of the benches in the garage where some of the hellcats were kept. Upon arrival Erol once again asked if I wanted to go to Krew's place, I just turned my nose up at the idea.

Erol smirked.

"If only you had thought that yesterday. Ok then you have two choices. One, I have a race in two days and the booster on my zoomer is still busted. Two, one of the new idiots crashed a hellcat cruiser today and smashed up the engine. So which will it be?"

"I thought you gave me the rest of the day off work. Your evil." I sighed and pulled my hair back into a pony tail "Alright give me a look at the cruiser, I'll work on your zoomer before the race."

"If you do a good job I'll buy you a drink?"

"Haha no, I want either orbs or metalhead skulls for all this."

"You're a leech."

"And you're an asshole, making me work on my day off"

"You're a mechanic, I thought this was fun for you?"

"Not when I still have a slight headache." I mumbled hoping he didn't really hear.

Oh but he did.

He deliberately dropped a wrench on the ground. Bastard.

"Oops, my bad."

"I'm going to kill you if you don't get the fuck out of here!"

He put his hands up in defence.

"Ok, I'm going I'm going. You have such a foul mouth for a girl you know."

"EROL!" I threw one of tools in my hand in his general direction but he just slid out the door and it bounced off the wall.

"Someday I'll kill him." I sighed and began work on the cruiser.

You see Hellcat cruisers aren't easy to fix, and the engine is the most shit hard part to get at. You literally have to get underneath it take away a panel from the bottom and half climb into the mess of wires and such on the inside. So right now I had my upper body awkwardly placed inside the cruiser.

"Stupid newbies, the next person who messes up an engine in one of these is getting their head blown off!"

"If memory serves me correctly, weren't you one of the first to destroy one of these."

I jumped at the voice and hit my head off the inside of the Hellcat.

"Owch, Ash please! Don't scare me like that! And that wasn't my fault, I couldn't control my eco back then"

"From what I hear you still can't control it a hundred per cent"

I pulled myself from the cruiser and stared at Ashelin.

"Erol told you about that!?"

"Only briefly, well done by the way."

I groaned, of course Erol would just keep on humiliating me.

"Whatever, what do you need me for?"

Ashelin shrugged and leaned against one of the work benches.

"Just wanted to check up on you was all."

"You wanted to check up on me, or Torn wanted to check up on me?"

She sighed.

"He still thinks it's a bad idea for you to trust Erol."

"…Do you trust him?"

"No, I barely trust my father."

"Well the Baron is one of the most hated people in the city, no offence."

She shook her head smiling.

"Seriously though Elie, you should consider working for the underground, they already trust you and you're well aware of most of what's going on anyway."

"I already told you Ashelin, I need my connections to the Krimson Guard. Until I'm finished with all this eco crap, I can't screw this up."

"You're not doing a very good job of that." Ashelin smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"How many times have you let Jak get away now?"

"Uhh, that's very different, He's just a kid, I can't let the Barron throw him back into the DWP, Krimson Guard or not."

I heard Ashelin laugh a bit.

"Really, a kid? He's older then you."

"There's no way! He's just too innocent."

I started to finish up with the Hellcat.

"How much older?"

"Two years."

"TWO YEARS!"

I stared at her, there was no way in hell that kid was so much older than me.

"Well shit, I assumed he was, I dunno, at least sixteen."

"Did you really think that?" She was trying hard to keep from laughing at how surprised I was.

"Well…I didn't really think about it but just, wow, he's that old but this city hasn't totally broken him down yet"

"He's a lot like you, he just isn't letting it break him."

"Ha, you don't say."

I finished off the Hellcat and put all my tools away.

"You're all done here then I suppose?" Ashelin asked.

I nodded, "Yup, I have the day off so…well I don't really know what to do now."

"What about going for a drink?"

I burst out laughing and Ashelin just gave me a quizzical look.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Erol obviously didn't tell you the whole story."


	3. Chapter 3

**More edited chapters yay! I'm so pissed off at myself for not including the original authors notes as well!**

* * *

"Elie I want you to go with Ashelin and take command over the docks."

I nodded to Erol strapping my gun over my shoulder.

Over the past few days metalheads have been getting into the city, we're not sure how yet but it's vital we keep them back up against the city walls.

"Shouldn't we try to evacuate as many people as we can?" I questioned.

"We don't have time for that, it's not important anyway." Erol brushed it off, Ashelin frowned.

"I agree with Elie, we should get as many people out of there as we can."

Erol turn and glare at Ashelin, I backed up slightly.

"Don't forget who's in charge in all of this."

"I'm just saying, it should be of top priority to keep the cities citizens safe."

"Who cares about a bunch of slumers anyways?"

"Guys! You can argue latter, we need to just get rid of those metalheads now!" I sighed and turned to leave.

"He's infuriating." Ashelin sighed I just nodded in agreement.

We both climbed into the waiting cruiser, Ashelin in the drivers seat.

"The more time that passes the more he just seems to just do everything the Barron says without hesitation." It's true, over the past week Erol just doesn't seem to be himself anymore.

"Believe it or not Elie, he's always been like that, I think your just finally realizing it."

"Hm."

"Have you thought about it at all lately?"

"About what?"

"Leaving the KG, I get the feeling something's going on and it's not good."

"Honestly Ash, I have but like I said, I need to stay right here for now."

"Just look after yourself ok."

"Oh you know me, I know exactly how to look after myself."

"That was a joke right?" Ashelin questioned, I just laughed.

"Of course, So you ready to take on a few metalheads?" We had just turned the corner to face the docks and it was already overrun with smaller metalheads with a few larger ones here and there.

"Aww crap we're gonna be here all day!" I sighed pulling my gun from its holder and jumping out of the hellcat.

"Well then, let's get started."

A good half hour into fighting off these guys and it was obvious they weren't backing down any time soon.

"Elie!"

"Ye!" I turned to Ashelin and she motioned up to the roof tops.

"I think you should be up there."

I smiled and made my way to the nearest building. Let me tell you, trying to scale a building while fighting off metalheads is pretty hard. Once I reached my destination I pulled a gun mod from my belt, This is what I was best at, it took me a few seconds to attach the mod which turned my gun into a sniper rifle. In training for the KG I spent a lot of my time getting to difficult to reach places but it was pointless being up there and not being in range of the enemy so I was trained with snipers mostly. Not the most high tech gun available but I like it.

It was much better up here, I had a pretty good advantage on the metalheads and it was much easier to see if anyone was in trouble and needed help. I easily took out the smaller metalheads with one head shot without them even knowing where the bullets were coming from.

"You doin' alright down there Ash?" I said into my com-unit after most of the metalheads had been taken out.

"They seem to be pulling back a bit, we should be alright."

I smiled taking the mod from my gun, I jumped down from the roof and joined Ashelin on the ground.

"Only a few more to go"

"Right, I was getting worried I would have to use eco."

"You might still have to use it yet."

"what?"

I tuned to see a slightly bigger metal head making its way towards the slums, the other KG's guns weren't working against it, it must be armoured.

"Fuck." I broke into a jog taking out the smaller metalheads as I went, for that thing to get to the slums it would have to pass through the industrial section which was an important part of the city, not to mention once it eventually got there, its intentions probably weren't good who knows how much destruction it would cause.

"Yo, hunk'o'metal!" It turned at the sound of the enemy but only growled and continued to advance into the city.

"Well then." I ran up to it and rammed my shoulder into its side and with the help of red eco, toppled it over. It was quick to get back to its feet though and charged right at me. I braced myself and raised my hands to stop it. I was able to get a good hold on it and flip it onto its side but this time I was quick to rip a piece of armour from its side, it didn't like that at all. It started squirming and I didn't see it reach a large claw up to push me away. I skidded back a foot or two, there was only one way to get this thing to stop.

"Ashelin! I need you to shoot it while I hold it down!"

She nodded and I went back to wrestling the metalhead to the ground making sure to expose the area where I pulled the armour from.

"Ashelin go now!" I had to try and keep an eye on all four of its claws so I could block against them and its tough doing that while trying to hold it down.

She lifted her gun up and took a clear shot. It hit, but did nothing.

"Damn it, thought so." It wasn't a vital enough part to cause any major damage and there was no way I could get at the armour around it head with ease. I looked around for something to help me although I don't know what I was expecting to find. I then had an idea. We were still pretty close to the docks, metal heads can't swim. It was risky but worth a try.

"Ash, get everyone away from here, I'm taking this guy for a swim."

"Elie that's suicide you can't-"

"We don't have time!"

Ashelin hesitated but then began to order people out of the way. Once I had enough of a clearing I began pushing the metalhead back towards the water, when he was just on the edge I rammed my whole body weight and used up all the red eco I could to push him into the water. It struggled for a while and tried to grab on to anything it could and what it grabbed onto was me. I tried my best to detach myself from it but here's the thing, I can't swim. I just kept getting pulled back down, I couldn't get away fast enough before it would just grab me again. At one point it pulled me down so fast the air was pushed from my lungs. It seemed that this metal head lasted longer than I thought it would but when I noticed its grip loosen I had just enough strength to push myself away from it, there was still the problem that I couldn't breathe. I tried my best to swim back up to the surface but it just seemed so far away by now, this dock sure was deep.

My vision was starting to go blurry and I could feel myself losing consciousness. But I could see something or someone fall into the water, or jump, I wasn't sure.

'Great' I thought 'Someone has to actually come to get me out of this mess.'

I was on the brink of consciousness when I was pulled above the water's surface and up onto the docks. I could hear so many voices all around me, I wanted to sleep but I had to get up.

As I started to get air back into my lungs after coughing up lot of water, I could concentrate a lot more, there were only maybe three voices around me, and it was really bright again.

"Elie? Hey come on get up."

That was definitely Ash.

"She just almost drowned I doubt she'll have the energy to get up yet."

Oh look who joined us.

"Don't worry Sunshine, it will take a lot more than that to get rid of me." I somehow managed to find some part of my voice after coughing up some water, although it hurt to talk.

"That was the stupidest thing I have ever seen you do Elie!"

I chuckled a little at Ash.

"Hey I'm not dead right?"

"Only because you're lucky enough that Jak was there to go get you."

"You what?" I leaned up slightly to look at him, he was sat not far from me and sure enough he was soaked.

"Why?"

"I owed you, you've kept the KG off my back for long enough."

"I, Uh…thanks."

"Don't make a habit of trying to kill yourself."

"She already has." Ashelin sighed.

"Yeah yeah." I pushed myself up from the ground wobbling a little but soon found my footing.

"I'm guessing that was the end of it all then." I looked out towards the docks and there didn't seem to be a single metalhead left.

"I guess so, come on let's get back to the palace." Ashelin got into a waiting hellcat and started it up.

"Just a sec." I jogged to catch up with Jak who had begun to leave.

"Hey wait up." He slowed down and turned until he fell into step with me.

"Can I ask you something?"

He nodded.

"Well you remember about a week ago when you blocked my eco attack? If I'm totally honest…that scared me a little, no one has ever been able to do that before!" I threw my arms up to add emphases, "and well, do you think you could show me just, how to deal with that? Only if you want to though that is, I know you're a busy guy and all bringing happiness to the world and such."

I was sure I saw the faintest of smiles come across his face, but knowing him I think he's just going to have fun getting to kick the crap out of a KG.

"Alright, as long as you haven't got some very important KG business to take care of?"

Sarcasm, this kid wasn't so bad.

"Oh well, maybe not today, you see there's a class one race on and uh I'm kinda needed there." I said, ringing out my wet hair.

"You race?"

"In the class one? Are you kidding me, I'd get killed for sure."

"One of your many hobbies it would seem." I had completely forgotten about Daxter before he popped up from behind Jak's head.

"Haha, funny. Don't forget my offer of feeding you to Krew is still on the table." With that he sunk back down so I couldn't see him.

"Anyway, I gotta go kid but whenever I can I'll find you and kick your butt."

"Looking forward to it."

I waved and climbed into the hellcat with Ashelin. She just gave me a look which said 'what was that about' I shrugged and we made our way back to the palace.

The whole ride back was spent bracing myself for the tornado of 'What the fuck' type questions I was going to get from Erol. Yay.

Lucky for me Haven has the most messed up weather and even though it was the _season_ of winter we haven't had 'winter' weather for a few days, so at least I wasn't freezing to death. It was only mild though and still kinda early so the sun was just rising over the tall buildings of the city. It looks extremely unhealthy as usual, Poor sun.

Ashelin landed the hellcat back in the hanger and jumped out, I just hung over the side mumbling and groaning. She sighed.

"Elie."

"hmm."

"Come on move it."

I lifted my head up slightly and just looked at her.

"Erol's gonna chew my head off though, what am I supposed to tell him?"

"Tell me what? And why are you wet?"

I quickly jumped out of the hellcat and looked for a way to escape but Erol was standing in the only exit.

"That um…uh"

"The mission was a success but she won't be using her eco for a while."

I glanced in Ashelins direction, silently thanking her. Erol raised an eyebrow at me.

"You've been dying to use your eco for a while but really Elie? I thought you could control it better than that."

"Oh no, you don't understand, it was a REALLY really big metalhead." I tried to stretch my hand up as high as I could to demonstrate but it wasn't a very good representation. "And big metalheads are very strong, not stronger than me obviously, but still strong enough to take a lot out of me."

"So you're all dried up?"

"…maybe just a bit. But you know what makes it better? A trip to the Hip Hog!"

"Didn't you say you were never going to drink again?"

"Did I say that?"

Erol shook his head.

"Well either way you can't go just yet, I have a surprise for you."

"I never like your surprises, especially when they're for me."

* * *

Unfortunately Ashelin was needed for another mission so I was left on my own to face this surprise. At least I was dry now.

"Just one hint even?"

"Really Elie what age are you?"

"Seventeen."

"It was a rhetorical question."

"I'm just curious that's all."

"Well we're almost there." And by "almost there" he meant "almost at the torture chamber". Ok so torture chamber is a bit of an overstatement, we were actually on our way to one of the labs set deep within the palace, and why do you think it's set so deep in the palace? Because they do stuff they aren't supposed to in there that's why. That's also why I don't like the sound of this surprise.

The labs are a stark white colour which can really mess with your vision when you first walk in, they also have a really strong sterile stench which just turns my stomach it always has and I'm not really sure why, you would think a nice clean smell would be pleasant. There isn't much in them apart from the necessary equipment and furnishings.

"Can we do this quick please?" I asked absently rubbing my head.

"Not feeling too good?" Erol questioned. I shook my head.

"Luckily it won't take long." He went over to talk to some of the lab assistants and they quickly scurried off to various parts of the room.

"Whatever you're going to inject me with I bet I could do it myself."

"I don't doubt that Elie, but knowing you, you might just pass out, am I right."

Annoyed, I blew some hair out of my face. I already knew the procedure so I went to sit on one of the crisp white beds.

"I really hate it in here."

"I know but unfortunately this needs to be done."

"Is it just the usual then? Additional eco? I really don't think it's a good idea when I'm so drained."

"Well actually we've had something in the works for a while, it could prove to be extremely beneficial for you."

"Oh? And what's that." I was excited at the idea of this.

"We ran a few tests and have discovered a way that could greatly enhance your abilities."

"Oh for Mar's sake Erol, just tell me."

"Along with your usual shot of eco, we've added in something else. Dark eco."

I thought he was kidding at first and laughed but once he stayed silent I knew he was serious.

"Your…what?"

"It will really help you use red eco to its fullest and-"

"I don't care! I'm not letting you put that stuff into me!"

"Elie it's a tiny amount, you know yourself there's people who have taken in a hundred times this amount and were fine." He was right. Who knows how much they used on Jak, but it changed him a drastic amount so what could it do to me. After a moment of silence I spoke up.

"You're sure there are no drastic side effects?"

"Positive, I've run the checks myself."

"It's not going to, you know, change me or anything?"

"Not this amount no, it would take a lot more."

I sighed something about this just didn't feel right.

"I dunno Erol, I feel like another prisoner on the DWP." My voice shook slightly, even just being here and not bolting out the door was an achievement, but dark eco? This was too much.

"Hey, you'll be alright trust me ok?"

"Ok, I'll trust you. But I swear to Mar if you kill me, I'll kill you."

"Don't worry you'll be fine." Just as he said that a few of the lab assistants came over carrying a silver tray and on it lay a vile of the usual red and yellow coloured liquid which was red eco but there was a visible dark tinge to it. Next to the vile lay a syringe, smaller then the average syringe but still terrifying to me. I took a deep breath to try and calm myself, it really wasn't doing much. As one of the assistants took up some of the eco mixture into the syringe and readied it another one pulled down the arm band which covered scars from previous eco injections and cleaned the skin. Eco injections do leave scars it's just the way they react to being forced into such a tiny space I suppose.

"You ready?" Erol asked picking up the prepared syringe.

"Just get it over with quickly please." I held my arm out and he took a hold on it.

"I'm not going to lie, this is really going to hurt."

"Thanks."

I held my breath as I felt the needle touch the skin on my arm, it was really cold. I could hardly feel as it pierced the skin I was just that used to it but after a few seconds I could feel a burning pain travel through my veins. I winced slightly and released the breath but it wasn't done. Even after the needle had been removed from my arm I was still in a terrible amount of pain. The burning feeling quickly travelled to my chest and I was gasping for air.

"This better be fucking normal" I said in between short breaths.

"Don't worry it will subside in a minute."

"That's way too long right now." I leaned forward holding my arms tight against my chest. The pain finally began to subside but I was still left pretty winded.

"You're not going to keep giving me that are you?" I glared slightly at Erol but he just smiled.

"No you'll only need it once, can you stand?"

"Yep, I got it." I slowly stood up and gave myself a second to make sure I really was able to stand on my own.

"You were right, It's not that bad after a minute or two."

"Good now hold still."

"What?"

Before I could turn something sharp poked the back of my neck, it almost felt like an electric shock.

"What the fuck was that you ass hole! You could have warned me dick head." I whipped my head around and glared daggers at his smug face.

"I guess it works then."

"What fucking works?"

"The trigger, it was just a pin prick, something to cause pain and get your heart beating faster, see your body isn't used to holding dark eco, it's made for red eco so we just had to make sure that the dark eco actually worked or else it would be dangerous to leave it in your system."

"I swear to Mar, if you touch me with anything else that causes pain I'll kill you right where you stand."

"All that anger is also caused by the dark eco being activated but I'm afraid the attitude is just you."

I huffed, it was a really strange feeling with the dark eco actually doing something to me, it's like I couldn't even control my own anger anymore. I wasn't really angry at Erol I just didn't know how to stop it. If this is only a fraction of what it's like to be on the DWP I wonder what sort of hell it is for Jak.

"Well now guess what, you owe me a drink."

Erol glanced up at me with a raised brow.

"Can't I have work to do, but you're finished for today so go run along and play."

"Suit yourself."

I wasn't really up for going to the Hip Hog on my own so I decided to head home and wait for something interesting to happen. I changed out of my KG gear and into some regular cloths then made myself a small lunch and took up a seat on my windowsill.

There's not too much to see from my apartment block, just other apartments and the street below, if you're on the roof though you can see the stadium.

I finished up eating and watched all the people below me, there really weren't many this part of the city is an expensive place to live. Because of the lack of people guess who I spotted making his way to the slums?

I threw open my window and shouted down to him.

"Hey Kid! Wait up for a sec!"

Quickly I made my way out of my apartment block, taking the stairs as to not waste time waiting for the elevator.

"You live here!" Daxter piped up as I made my way over.

"Yeah…is that a surprise?"

"This is the most crazy expensive place to live around here, how do you do it?" Daxter said in awe.

"Being a KG pays off sometimes," I shrugged "Anyways, you two don't look like you're up to anything important, am I right?"

Jak nodded "Just finished actually."

"Oh, what a coincidence, me too. Now how bout those how-to-not-get-my-but-kicked lessons?"

"You sure don't like to waste time?"

"Nope, let's get going." I turned to retrieve my zoomer but I wasn't too sure on where we should go. I turned back to Jak but he already knew what I was thinking.

"Pumping station?"

"Risky, they'll know if a KG leaves the city."

"You should be good at excuses by now right."

"Haha, I'm a little dried up actually," I sighed scratching my head in thought "suppose I could think of something though."

We pulled up outside the airlock that leads to the pumping station, as I carefully placed my zoomer off to the side Jak carelessly discarded his. We entered the air lock quickly, I had this strange feeling that we were being watched. I don't like to be watched.

While we stood inside waiting for the second door to open I caught Jak staring at me with an amused look on his face.

"What's your problem?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.

"You're really small."

His deadpan way of telling me this caught me off guard a little.

"So what! You're just really tall!"

"No, you've always been small, I'd say you haven't even grown since I first saw you."

"…That wasn't that long ago…was it?"

"I'd say a year."

I huffed, he's right I am pretty small I already made that observation but I'm not _that _small.

"Oh whatever."

The second door to the air lock finally opened and we moved off to a spot as far from the city as possible as not to attract attention. Jak started to say the he just wanted to see how much I could fight on my own without the use of my eco, I wasn't really listening because something clicked in my head. I pulled out my pistol, which I had luckily brought along, and aimed it at Jak.

"Elie, wha-"

"If you don't want me to blow the kids head off I suggest you come out from hiding."

"There's no one else here Elie, seriously! Put the gun down."

"Hush up." I was listening for any sort of movement, I knew who was here but I didn't quite know where they were. Then I heard the strain of metal from behind me up on one of the platforms. I quickly turned and aimed for where I knew he was hiding.

"Games over, come on out Torn."

I heard a sigh before he jumped down onto the ground in front of us.

"That's better, you know I don't like to be followed." I lowered my gun and put it back into its holster.

"Wait, you two know each other!" Poor kid was confused and no one really answered his question before Torn turned on me.

"Why did you leave the underground without a word?"

"Oh here we go," I sighed crossing my arms "I didn't exactly leave, per say, I just kinda didn't come back."

"You joined the Krimson Guard, something I told you not to get tangled up in."

"What was I supposed to do! I have some freakish ability that no one can explain and then an opportunity to finally get some answers arises, what do you want me to do? Turn it down!"

"Yes! There's other ways of finding this stuff out, it's no more than a death wish to join the KG especially under Erol's recommendations, there's no way he has good intentions for you!"

"He's been helping me ten times more than anyone else!"

"Yeah, just wait until the day when he doesn't need you anymore and stabs you in the back."

I was furious at this point, how dare Torn come along after all this time and insult me like this, he doesn't know the half of it. I couldn't take anymore and I could feel the dark eco take over and I pinned him back against the side of the platform. That was sort of a mistake though, I didn't know it would happen but there was a visible crackle of dark eco mixed in with my red eco, and he saw it. He looked shocked and angry all at once.

"Elie, you're going to tell me what's happened to you, and you're going to tell me right now."


	4. Chapter 4

**(Edited and reviewed chapter, but hey look I remembered to leave in the original AN this time.)**

**You know I don't think I even have to say it by now but you've probably all noticed that I don't like to go into writing in depth about the actual missions in the game~ See I'm not trying to just write out the exact same procedures of the game and just throw in an OC, I'll warn you guys now I'll change the order and length of things and I'll hopefully be able to steer clear of boring mission descriptions, not my thing at all (if anyone here saw my Zelda fic you'd know I also hate hate HATE writing about dungeons.)**

**Not gonna lie, I had a hard time writing out the start of this, it just never seemed to flow correctly and that thoroughly pee'd me off.**

**Oh and I made sort of a theme song for Elie : cause my OC's are spoilt like that.**

**ALSO very important note, I'm going away tomorrow for two weeks and wont have any access to my computer so I wont even be able to start on the next chapter until I get back, I'm also sorry for a very short chapter, I just wanted to finish up quickly to get something new out before I leave.**

**Enjoy guys and thank you once again for all the favourites and stuff~**

* * *

I wasn't prepared to answer his question right there. It was deciding between the truth and a lie. It was too late to tell him he was just seeing things and play it off, I too was totally shocked at the physical change of the red eco. So given the circumstances I let my instincts make the decision.

I punched him full on in the face.

I backed up while he recovered prepared to fight.

"What is wrong with you!"

"Hey, you don't just send some kid to follow me around, try and make me quit my job, which I kind of enjoy by the way, and then demand answers from me!" I was honestly trying to keep my anger at bay but there really isn't much I can do about my anger anymore is there? I glanced over at where Jak still stood in a slight state of shock.

"I'm supposed to show off what I can do without my eco, so why not take all that anger out on me now?"

"You're seriously going to get yourself killed like this."

"I've been told."

I was already prepared to fight him but I definitely was not prepared for how quick he was. He aimed a kick at my head which I barely dodged, I lost my balance for a second before rolling backwards and standing up again.

'Damn it! He wasn't that fast two years ago!'

I didn't dare use my eco again though in case Jak caught onto what had happened so I was just left with my fighting abilities.

He wasn't giving me any time at all to determine my next move and just came at me with hit after hit. All I was able to do was dodge around him, being small helped and I was light on my feet.

"You're not seriously going to just keep running are you? Is this what being in the KG has done to you? Have you completely forgotten your training in the underground? You can't even fight without your eco anymore."

He was starting to get on my nerves again.

"How about you shut up!" I finally landed a kick in on his stomach and sent him back a foot or so.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on!" Jak shouted from the sidelines. I smiled and braced myself for another attack from Torn.

"Give us a minute kiddo."

I continued with my pattern of blocking and dodging, hoping he would get tired and slow down so I could land a hit. One of his fists soon found contact with my face however. With my guard down he went in for another hit, this time trying to kick my legs out from underneath me. I knew damn well that if he got me on the ground that was it. Just before I felt my feet being swept from underneath me I jumped backwards landing on my hands then pushing myself to rest of the way back onto my feet. Once I landed again I smirked.

"Who needs eco ey?" I looked up but didn't see Torn in front of me where he had been just a second ago.

Fuck it.

He had obviously expected me to dodge his last attack, he grabbed me around the neck with his arm and held a dagger to my throat.

"Apparently, you do."

I sighed in defeat and crossed my arms.

"Ok, I get it. Now let go."

He removed his arm from around my neck and shoved me forwards. I turned back around to him, arms still crossed, and glared.

"Did that successfully knock your ego back down to size?"

"Oh shut up."

"See, I knew joining the Krimzon Guard would do this to you. You're too cocky for your own good and if you're not careful you're gonna get yourself killed."

"You wanna go again!"

I heard Jak sigh loudly as he walked in-between us.

"Will you two cut it out, this isn't doing anybody any favours."

Daxter nodded his agreement and turned to me.

"And it doesn't help our case that we're hanging around with a KG, how do we know YOU didn't set US up?"

I growled slightly at him.

"You. Skinned. Cooked. Krew!" I said pointing from him and then to the general direction of the Hip Hog.

His ears flattened.

Torn spoke up again "You don't have to worry about her pulling something like that, she may be an annoying twerp-"

"Hey!"

"But one thing I know about Elle is that you can trust her."

"Aww, that would have been really touching if I didn't feel like ripping your throat out right now." I turned to leave but Torn stopped me.

"You never answered my question."

I turned my head back slightly.

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

Jak and Torn and both turned to face me. Jak looked confused as hell.

"Because I don't want another one of him running around." Torn jerked his head in Jak's direction and I winced slightly as I saw realization cross his face.

"They aren't seriously doing that, to…to one of their own guards?"

Torn scoffed "It's Errol who's in charge of looking after her, what do you expect."

I turned around to face both of them again, hands on hips.

"How do you know it was even his idea? What if I was the one who suggested it?"

"It **was** his idea though, wasn't it?"

I exhaled letting my arms drop "At least he gave me a choice."

"You still don't get it Elle, there's no choice when you're a Krimzon Guard, It's do or die, or more often than not it's just die."

"Look Torn, whether you like it or not Errol has been looking out for me almost all of my life! I trust him enough to help me use my powers to the fullest, that's all he's doing!"

"He's just turning you into another weapon for the Barron."

"I chose to be a weapon, for the city."

Torn groaned in frustration, turning away from myself and Jak and walking back to the air lock.

"You're a lost cause, Elle. Just don't come crying to me when everything falls apart."

"You won't need to worry about that."

Torn walked into the air lock and didn't look back. The heavy metal doors closing behind him. I sighed, blowing some stray hair out of my eyes and turned to Jak.

"I guess I should start talkin' then huh?"

Jak just gave me a nod, but it was one of those nods that read 'this better be fucking good.'

"Well how bout I break it down a little so we can be on our merry way?" I started pacing around a bit thinking of a good place to start what was basically my life story but shorter.

"Well, for as long as I can remember Erol has looked after me-"

"No wonder you're a little, shall we say, completely insane!" I glared at Daxter for cutting me off.

"Even if that is a little bit true, please don't interrupt me again or you know what will happen, anyway, I was pretty much just kept away from the outside world a lot of the time and when I was old enough and had enough control over my eco I was stuck in my current living establishment which is really just a safe house so I can be monitored. I was probably about fourteen when Torn 'dropped in' and tried to convince me staying around with Erol and the Krimzon guard was a bad idea, he bribed me into staying with the underground telling me he would train me so I could hold my own in the city rather than staying locked up all day with nothing to do." I turned my head slightly to make sure I still had the boys' attention before quickly finishing up.

"Long story short, I stayed hidden away with the underground for a year before, of course, me being me, I wandered off into the industrial section which I noticed was heavily guarded by KG, curiosity got the better of me and upon seeing Errol I decided I was finished training with the underground wanted to know what the fuck was going on and thought that maybe then I was skilled enough to join the KG and a year ago I finally did, The End."

"You sure don't like to stay in one place or-" Jak began before Daxter cut in with his two cents.

"Or on one side! You could be a spy for anybody at this rate!" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh please, being a spy isn't my thing. I'm know in this city for just doing what I gotta do no matter what to protect everybody, being a KG though it normally revolves around what the dear Barron has us ordered to do, but I get in a few extra good deeds here and there, the last thing you'll see me doing is spying." I knew I hadn't totally convinced them to trust me but it was probably enough for now.

"And what does your reward end up being, a nice big dose of dark eco?" Jak was getting defensive and I could understand why. I watched for a year as he was forced to accept doses of dark eco on the DWP, and that was only half of his stay in prison. It almost made me not want to admit it was my choice to accept the dark eco.

"We found out a few months ago that my body was able to hold dark eco, part of being an eco channaller I suppose, today was the first and only shot of dark eco though. It's supposed to enhance the strength of my red eco but so far all it's succeeded in doing is making me more aggressive."

"We noticed toots."

"Either way," I continued, ignoring the rat "It will help me in protecting everyone here and in getting rid of the damn metal heads.

"Dark eco isn't just something you should be 'experimenting' with, it's dangerous."

"Trust us." Daxter added as Jak finished off with his warning.

"Try telling that to half the nut jobs around the city, you know what one of the prizes is for winning the class one race? Dark eco, personally I can't see why anyone would risk their life for that, not to mention they have to actually beat Errol which no one has ever succeeded in as of yet." I said proudly, of course half of the fact that he is able to win is because he has one amazing mechanic keeping his zoomer in top condition. Then it hit me.

"Oh fuck fuck fuck." I jumped around for a second before pulling out my comm. unit.

"Balls, why am I so fucking stupid!"

"Eh, something wrong babe?" Daxter asked leaning over to look at the screen of my communicator.

"There's a class one race today and I totally forgot!"

"Ah yes you did mention that, but what's got you so worked up about it?"

"Let's just say if I'm not there that makes me very much dead and buried."

I started to jog back to the air lock turning quickly to shout and apology back to the boys.

"How bout I meet you tomorrow at Krew's place after my shift? I'll call you." I waved my comm. unit in the air before quickly hopping into the air lock jumping from foot to foot waiting for the second door to open.

"Come on hurry the fuck up." These things were getting slower and slower as the city ran out of energy. When the damn thing finally opened I ran out and jumped on my zoomer and floored it to the stadium. At that moment I really wished I had one of the KG bikes so everyone would just automatically move out of my way. I was stuck with my own regular zoomer however and just had to carefully, and quickly, manoeuvre my way in and out of hover zones.

It took longer than I would have liked to actually reach the stadium, but I was there on time and wasn't going to get my head blown off.

"Elie, I was wondering when you were going to show up, I was told you had left the air lock, what the hell were you up to?" Errol was the first face I saw once I jumped from my zoomer and he was already bombarding me with questions, good thing I'm a quick thinker.

"I heard some talk around the slums that there was a large group of metal heads moving in towards the pumping station," I said following him up the steps to the stadium "so I went to check it out, turned out to be a false alarm." I shrugged it off hoping he was buying it.

"Well that's what you get for listening to a load of low life slumers, come on there's a ton to do before the race." Errol turned into our teams' garage and waved me in after him.

"Yes sir." I mock saluted and followed him in.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry guys for the ridiculously long wait!**

**I've been settling back into school for my last year so it's been a bit busy for me.**

**And just so you all know I haven't read over this to check for mistakes or anything but I'll get to that tomorrow.**

**I'm going to keep it short here and there's going to be a HUGE authors note at the end of the chapter so read on~**

* * *

"I swear he blows out the engine in this thing with every race!" I huffed blowing stray hair from my face only to have it land right back where it starting. I was currently on my back squashed between the hard and cold concrete ground and Erol's newly fucked up racing zoomer. I'm going to kill him.

"If he hadn't accepted that stupid rematch last week I wouldn't have to waste my time with this."

"Well he still won didn't he?"

"That's not the point Kiera, I have better things to be doing."

"As in…?"

"As in very important classified Krimzon Guard work." I said putting on the best serious face I could, she just raised her brow.

"Uh-huh, very believable coming from you."

"Hey! I work hard…most of the time."

"Unfortunately that's only half true, Elie."

"Put a sock in it, Commander," I moved out from under the zoomer to glare at Erol "What are you doing here anyway, don't you normally just piss off after every race?" I mumbled the last part hoping he didn't really hear that, it's getting harder to control exactly how much of my mind I speak.

"I knew I would find you in here, again, since you refuse to work in your own team's garage."

"Only because I get lonely, it's no fun with no one to talk to." I pouted and busied myself with the racer again "By the way, you owe me two precursor orbs."

"What for?"

"For blowing out this engine three times in a row that's what! It's a brand new engine and everything!" It was becoming increasingly difficult to not throw some scrap metal at Erol, more specifically at his face.

"I'll deal with that later, I need to talk to you."

"Fucking hell, I'm a little busy here if you didn't notice, fixing your mess."

"Elie."

I poked my head back out from under the zoomer when Erol's voice turned serious, overall he looked pretty tense too and like to not piss him off. I sighed.

"Fine fine, can it be quick though? I have a lot to do." I stood up and brushed myself off, removing my goggles to rest around my neck and stuffing my gloves into one pocket.

"It'll take as long as it takes." Erol turned and left the garage and I followed after him giving Kiera a quick wave. He led me into the seating area which circled the huge racing track which was possibly Haven's main and only attraction, not that anyone visited the city often. He paced around the front row so I just sat down and waited for him to start talking.

"Have you been using your eco much lately?"

"Are you wondering if the dark eco has made a difference?" I looked up to him and he nodded.

"Well you'll be happy to hear that not only has it given me a boost in my already snippy attitude but it has been helpful. My red eco regenerates so much faster now, remember when you first gave me the shot and I had already drained pretty much every ounce of red eco? Well about an hour later I was fully recharged, pretty neat. It also just feels like there's so much more power, like a continuous flow of red eco, I haven't tested it out yet of course but I can definitely tell that I won't be worn out as quickly anymore."

"Is that all you've noticed?"

"Well…it's changed the appearance of the red eco too. You can see the dark eco almost…controlling it. Plus I feel even colder all the time now"

"That's nothing to worry about. You said that it felt like you had access to a constant stream of eco now, right?"

"Well those weren't my exact words…"

"Care to test it out?"

I considered it for a moment then shook my head "Not until I get my orbs."

"You're an impossible child."

I smirked and stood up.

"Sorry Erol, but I'm fully booked today, Maybe another time." I punched him playfully on the arm and skipped back to the garage. I've never seen him so serious after winning a race, normally I would be more than happy to give him the Cockiest-bastard-in-the-world-award, but today I just felt like giving him a drink.

I rounded the corner back into the garage and spotted Kiera struggling trying to lift a heavy piece of machinery.

"Hey, you'll hurt yourself." I went over and took the load from her placing it on the work bench.

"The only reason this stuff is in here is because I got it here, so don't try moving it without me alright, it's too heavy."

"I'm convinced no one can lift it apart from you. It's crazy though, red eco doesn't even exist anymore yet your living proof that it did at one point, you have to tell me if you make any progress in your research won't you?" Kiera was one of very few people outside of the Krimzon Guard who knew about my eco channelling, I didn't even tell her about it, she saw it first-hand the day we found her. I was fending off a bunch of metal heads and she recognised the eco which totally shocked me since no one knew what red eco was unless you really read up on it, or got into a fist fight with me. So while she's admittedly trying to figure me out I'm also curious about her in ways.

"That's if I make any more progress," I smiled half-heartedly, it was true I hadn't really been getting anywhere lately. With the city defences almost gone and metal heads being able to break through cracks in the shield, I kind of had my hands full. Not to mention I also had to do half of Ashelin's job since she was pretty much taking over for Erol almost every day. He was constantly off doing something he "didn't have time to explain" It was getting annoying.

"I'm thinking of going to ask Vin if he knows anything about past energy sources that the city might have used and see if that leads me to anything, maybe they were even lucky enough to have all five eco types to work with," I sighed sitting down next the Erol's zoomer again "I bet a few hundred years ago they didn't have to worry about city shields failing or metal heads infiltrating and ripping them limb from limb."

"They probably had their fair share of problems too though, eco or no eco."

"Hmm.."

The garage was silent for the next few minutes as we both worked away at our respective projects. I wasn't concentrating too much and got lost in my own head resulting in my dropping a spanner in my face, I don't even know how I manage to get _that _lost in thought.

I groaned and rolled out from under the zoomer holding my hands to my forehead.

"Elie! Concentrate on what you're doing." Kiera threw me a damp cloth and I pressed it to the now probably swelling spot on my cheek.

"Sorry, I just haven't been thinking about doing any research for so long that once the idea was there I couldn't stop thinking." I'm a klutz when I'm thinking.

Kiera sighed and crouched down beside me.

"Have you ever heard of the Sages?"

"The five Eco Sages?"

She nodded "Yeah, have you done any looking into that?"

I hadn't actually, why haven't I? That's so obvious! I'm such an idiot.

"I guess it slipped my mind…I was mostly trying to use my link to red eco to find someone closer to me who has the same ability, which for one would have explained where it came from and two, it might have actually lead me to find out about my family." I really was being stupid about it, I've known for years that I have no family to even speak of, but I never wanted to let myself believe that they simply vanished, there had to be something left behind.

"Do you know if you have any family in Haven?"

"I've checked, there's no one even close to related to me living in the city."

"Isn't that a bit strange?"

I looked up to Kiera, removing the cold cloth from my bruised cheek "What do you mean?"

"Well if you haven't got any family in the city, then how did you end up here?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that actually, long story short, I was brought here to be protected. Obviously wherever I'm from originally wasn't safe enough for the last surviving evidence of red eco."

"You never thought to ask where exactly you originally came from."

I shrugged "It's not really something I thought about too much."

My communicator beeped just then, I really only used my communicator while I was out at work or on missions (My phone is too flimsy, a piece of thin metal with a projector for a small holo-screen wasn't made for use in combat. Plus I only know a handful of people with phones) but I had been carrying it around with me almost every day now because of the frequent metal head attacks, and to bug Jak and Daxter when I got bored.

This time however it was just an update letting me know my night time shift started in about two hours. I hated night shifts and I'd been dealing with a lot of them as of late. You always end up bumping into some drunken idiots just asking for trouble or some back alley drug dealer with a mouth as foul as the sewers. They used to make me extremely uncomfortable when I first ventured out into Havens night life but now they were just an annoyance, and it's cold outside.

"I better get going Kiera, duty calls."

"Don't forget to update me if you find anything."

"Of course."

I stood in the main bathroom of my apartment, examining the bruise on my cheek. It hadn't swelled much and luckily the grey KG tattoos that cover most of my cheek disguised it a bit, but it's still painfully obvious that I have a huge bruise on my face.

_'I could cover it up with makeup' _I quickly decided against that thought though, apparently 99.9% of Haven's female population are as white as snow, where as I have a more natural tan colour and since the city is kind of going to shit, most shop owners only want to cater to a small audience. In fact I don't think I've ever seen anyone with a skin shade even close to mine, apart from Jak but that kid's a whole other bag of muse all together. That got me thinking about what Kiera had said earlier, maybe I should look into where I'm from. I really didn't feel like pestering Erol about it though since he never liked being asked questions, grouchy old man. I wondered if Ashelin new anything, it was worth a shot, but I could always ask her later. For now I had something else to take care of.

I took off my work cloths which were covered in dust, dirt and oil and since I didn't want to have to trek back home again before work I changed into my Krimzon Guard uniform and armour, which wasn't much, it really only covered my shoulders and back to stop any major damage. I'm quick so a full chest plate and arm and leg guards would just slow me down and be almost useless. I strapped a mod gun to my back and clipped a smaller plasma blaster onto my belt. Before I left I checked the bruise again in the mirror just in case it had by some magical powers healed itself. Nope. Oh but hey that yellowish colour really brought out the orange flecks in my green eyes, lovely. I grabbed my jacket and left.

Of course it was raining when I was half way to the Hip Hog and the traffic was going at a painfully slow pace. I was having a serious contemplation between obeying the law and just using my superior power as a KG to pass right through everyone. I went with the later and switched hover zones so I was closer to the ground, I just had to not kill anybody until I got out of the industrial section then I was good to go. Of course that was easy and I was soon speeding over the water of the docks before pulling up outside the bar.

I didn't even have to enter the bar before I could hear Krew complaining about something or other, probably something to do with money. I really hated this guy, but I had something to take care of. I did all I could to avoid acknowledgment of the gelatinous man floating around and made my way over to the bar where Tess greeted me.

"Hey Elie, I haven't seen you around for a while."

"Been busy I suppose, this job really isn't easy, and after so many weeks of absolute boredom its tiring being at work every day."

Tess pushed a drink towards me which I happily accepted.

"Are you working later?"

"Yeah, night patrol."

"That sucks."

"Tell me about it, it's my third one this week. We're all being worked to the bone lately."

"I know how you feel, I guess we both need a break from work."

I knew she was talking about the underground, but with lumps and bumps floating around we couldn't continue our conversation.

"What brings you here before work anyways?"

"Don't worry I'm not here to drink myself stupid, give me some credit Tess, I actually have something to take care of and I have an important call to make." I pulled out my com-unit and pulled up the number I needed.

"Yo kid, what's up?"

_"How did you even get my communicator number?"_ He sounded more bored then surprised.

"Details details," I'd tell him I stole it from Ashelin later, " never mind that, why don't you swing by the Hip Hog I have something I wanna ask you."

_"Can't you ask me now?"_

"Are you busy now?"

_"No."_

"Then come over." I disconnected the line and grabbed my drink making my way over to one of the booths to wait.

Jak wandered in about ten minutes later, along with Daxter on top of his shoulder as always. The rat however didn't seem all too interested in taking part in our conversation and quickly made his way over to the bar. That animal seriously confuses the fuck out of me.

I gestured to the seat in front of me and Jak hesitantly sat down.

"I thought you just had a question."

"Gosh I really miss that happy attitude of yours sometimes."

"Elie just get to the point, why the hell did you call me over."

"Ah ah ah," I tapped the red armour attached to my shoulder "I'd be careful with how you speak to me if I were you."

He frowned and leaned forward "What was your question?"

"We haven't been having as many random encounters as we used to sure we haven't?" I leaned back in my seat.

"What do you mean? What's this got to do with anything?" He looked a little confused.

"Has Torn been asking about me lately?"

"I'm not here to mess around Elie-"

"Just answer the question."

He sighed, "No, not lately anyway. But he used to, anytime I came back from a mission."

_'Thought so'_

"Why was Torn getting you to follow me around?"

"What?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, it's no coincidence that we bumped into each other almost every day. And wasn't it lucky that you just so happened to be there when I almost drowned in the docks."

"So what, lucky timing."

"Luck had nothing to do with it, you didn't know at first but you were just acting as Torn's little spy and you know how much I hate spies. Who in their right mind would be so quick to show trust to a KG after just escaping from a hell like the DWP?" I leaned forward resting my elbows on the table that separated us "Now answer this, did you know Torn was following us out to the pumping station for that 'training session' which by the way was poorly played, you're not a very good actor."

"Elie this is stupid-"

"Don't forget I can stand up right now and make a scene out of arresting you and handing you over to the Baron which only benefits me, or you could just spill it which benefits both of us. Your choice sunshine."

"I don't believe that one bit."

"I didn't wear the full KG gear for no reason."

"I know you Elie, you wouldn't do that."

I glared at him "Just answer me."

He crossed his arms and settled back into his seat "I didn't know I was being used to keep tabs on you for a while but after I ran into Ashelin and she mentioned you I knew there was something going on with you and the underground, so I asked."

"Let me guess, Torn wouldn't tell you anything?"

Jak shook his head "He just told me that you needed safe guarding and then a few days later he told me to go to the docks and try to get you on your own somehow."

"Well I walked right into that one didn't I. Hey wait, what does he mean by 'safe guarding' the bastard I can take care of myself."

"Obviously."

"Shut up and continue."

He shifted his sitting position a bit "I had no idea you used to be part of the underground or why Torn cared about what you were getting involved in, so what happened at the pumping station was all news to me."

"You assumed I was just another grey faced Krimzon guard out to cause trouble amongst innocent people."

"Pretty much."

"Well I hope the conversation that day changed your mind because if there's one thing I hate its being compared to the other guards."

"Why did you become one then? Why didn't you just stay with the underground and help from there?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head "It's not that simple, I'm not a fan of the baron or the KG myself but I feel like I'm able to do more for the city this way, I have access to more information to help in any way I can. I also have everything I need to figure out why I'm can channel eco."

"Why bother?"

I opened my eyes "What do you mean 'why bother' this is my home I want to protect it-"

"No, I mean, why bother caring about whether you're an eco channaller or not. It doesn't make a difference."

"Of course it makes a difference, to half of the ass holes in the guard I'm just a science experiment, something to prod and poke at and see just how much they can do to me in order to make a stronger weapon. They don't even see me as a human anymore."

"You don't think I understand that."

I sighed "Sorry, I know it's been rough for you, if not worse. I'll be honest with you when I was getting that dark eco shot I was terrified, I didn't know what to expect I thought that maybe…That I'd…"

"Turn into something like me?"

I nodded meekly "That's such a horrible thing for me to have thought, you're just as human as I am or as anyone else is."

"You're the first person to say that to me since it happened."

"Maybe because we're almost on the same boat."

"Elie, how old are you?"

I really hated being asked this question in a non-rhetorical manner.

"I don't like throwing that information around."

"I'm just curious?"

"I turned seventeen three months ago."

Jak's eyes widened slightly in shock when I said the word 'seventeen'.

"You're still a kid. The Krimzon Guard really are twisted."

"I chose this life style, I'm the only one at fault," I leaned forward again and gave him a fake glare "Plus I'm no kid in any sense of the word."

"Of course you're not. Hey, what happened to your cheek?"

Oops, got a little too close. I sat back and put my hand to the injured area smiling.

"I'm an idiot, I dropped one of my tools on my face while I was fixing Erol's racing zoomer."

"You're Errol's mechanic?"

"Oh yeah I didn't tell you that did I. That's the reason I rushed off the other day to the class 1 race. Of course some bone head was a bit miffed about losing had to challenge Erol to a rematch who happily accepted, that was today."

"Is it alright? It looks a bit swollen?"

"Nothing to worry about." I waved it off.

"It's so weird, one of my friends is a mechanic."

"Hey, one of my friends is a mechanic too, but she-" I was cut off by the reminder on my comm-unit that it was time to get my ass to work.

"Ugh, gotta go, night time patrol awaits, I'll see ya around though, oh and tell Torn to mind his own god damn business"

Jak just shook his head. I stood up from the booth and turned to wave goodbye to Tess before leaving. It got even colder, god damn it. I should really think about getting a more substantial uniform. The shorts and tube top just weren't doing it for me in the winter even with the addition of such long boots and a jacket. But I liked the look of it and I was not going to wander around in one of those ridiculous jump suits we're supposed to wear. I climbed onto my zoomer and started it up deciding I would take my time getting to HQ. I really wasn't looking forward to another night time patrol.

* * *

**Just so you guys know, Thousand Foot Krutch's new album is pretty much the entire inspiration for this story so go listen to it and stuff.**

**Moving on, brace your selves for a really, really, really long authors note.**

**First off, I'm so so sorry that this chapter took so long, once I came home from France I was spending most of my time catching up on sleep and preparing myself for school (which for me is pretty nerve wracking) I was still working on idea's all the time though and just wanted to sit and write this chapter out. But then school came around and I just did not have time, I literally get 3 hours at home every day and in that time I have to do house work and then prepare for the next day of school. Even my freaking weekends have been busy. Not to mention I have a pile of work to get done in preparation for collage next year (I need to get a portfolio together for a Video game design course) ****and totally wasn't getting addicted to Homestuck**

**I decided to put off writing anything for a while though because once I started going back to English class I realized I had even more huge flaws in my writing then I originally thought, I know myself that I'm not the greatest writer out there. I like coming up with these stories but writing them out is something different all together. So after my first few classes of creative writing I picked up some helpful stuff and hopefully I'll improve in my writing technique more from here on out (mind you though, I'll probably still make stupid spelling/punctuation/grammar mistakes every now and then) One of my biggest problems, which my English teacher also pointed out to me, is switching tenses sometimes. That needs to stop, uuuggghhh I'll do my best.**

**On the upside my teacher also said I was good at dialog ; u ;**

**Ok so ****here's a more important note**** I'm going to be going back and cleaning up the chapters before this, I won't make any changes to the story but just a general "why the fuck did I put that sentence/word there, what the fuck was I doing" sort of clean up. I think I did say in the last chapter or the one before that, that I would probably be changing around the wording a bit at some point, well I just decided to do that to all the chapters and it's a good thing I don't have like 20 to go back and clean up.**

**And I have some good news for you guys, I have a solid plan to continue this story into the third game~ I would like to keep going up to Jak x (because the Lost Frontier never happened) but, oh jfc guys, I never played Jak x. Bad gamer I know, I absolutely fucking love these games but I was around 11 or so when Jak x actually came out and at that point I HATED racing games with a burning passion, I always let my brother take care of the racing when I was younger, plus I still hadn't gotten my hands on Jak 3 so I didn't want to get too ahead of myself. Of course now I've played through the first three games countless times and am searching high and low for Jak x but it's so hard to find here. I have watched cutscenes though and I know the basic story line of the game but I wouldn't feel confident writing for it unless I had played the game, even now I'm replaying 2 at a steady pace so I don't totally fuck up.**

**Speaking of just totally fucking up, I'm sure you've noticed that this story isn't exact to the game, I mentioned before that I didn't just want to re-write the whole game with the edition of a character, so the part Elie plays will always be the main focus of the story but there will still be plenty of the in game stuff once I really get into it, trust me guys I'm just getting started. Also I'll stop doing time skips;;**

**Well if you managed to last through all of that, well fucking done. I wish I had some sort of reward for you all.**

**Now if you'll all excuse me, it 4am and I'm going to pass out.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I just don't even have a lot to say.**

**I am dead guys, I meant to have this up on Saturday but then I was going to a party and woke up today not feeling all that great (note to self NO MORE DRINKING WHEN YOU HAVE SCHOOL)**

**Needless to say I had to finish it off while battling a mild hangover, but I got there...just about (Bacon helps with hangovers, did you know that?)**

**hehehehe the other day my brother had a go at racing against Erol in the class 1 (He hasn't touched a Jak and Daxter game in years, so much so that he doesn't even remember completing Jak 2) I'm quite impressed it only took him maybe...16 tries. We actually both got a lot of satisfaction out of watching Erol blow himself up. Me because I absolutely hate him and my brother because he was better at him with racing, even if he is an AI it was totally unacceptable.**

**Oh yeah I was also checking out the Wiki the other day just to check some tiny details and found out I'm a bit off with ages and time frames and all. OH WELL.**

**But look! First chapter with in-game dialogue :D**

* * *

Night patrols were definitely in my top 5 list of Things I Hate About Being a KG. Somewhere in between helping with the DWP and getting up early. To this day I can't think of anything good about them, the only thing that makes it bearable is knowing that anytime I call someone's comm. Unit, they are obliged to answer.

"Ash, hey Ashelin."

"_Yes Elie?"_

"It's really freaking cold out here, we should install outside heaters."

"_Outside heaters?"_

"Yeah! So winter never has to happen."

"_Elie its spring."_

"…are you sure? It's still so cold though."

"_You're always cold. Now stop getting distracted, its dangerous being on night patrol so keep an eye out."_

I sighed and clipped my communicator back onto my belt. This was no fun at all, I'd made so many laps around the Bazaar at this point that I'd lost count. Nothing was happening! The least these people could do would be start a street fight or something, anything to entertain me. I rounded another corner of shops and yet again ended up where I had started a couple hours ago. I stood by some food stands for a while to survey the almost empty area and to my surprise and joy my communicator started blinking, indicating someone trying to get a hold of me.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" I answered in a cheery voice.

"_Honestly I was expecting a complaint as soon you answered, I'm surprised you haven't tried to bail out and stick the job on a newbie yet."_

I pouted.

"Whatever Erol, I still hate doing this. I'm bored, hungry, thirsty, tired and cold. I swear its dead out here I have a strong feeling nothing's going to happen at all for the rest of the night."

"_You're not going home until your full shift is done."_

"Don't you trust my eco senses at all?"

"_You don't __**have**__ eco sense Elie, they don't exist. Anyway I need you to-" _

"What do you think about installing outside heaters all over the city?" I said leaning against one of the stands.

"_Please tell me you're joking?"_

"I'm deadly serious."

"_Elie, please shut up. I have something important for you."_

"I will do anything that doesn't involve walking around in circles, what have you got for me?"

"_Oh you'll enjoy this then, our little eco experiment has alerted some guards in the industrial section. This is your chance to redeem yourself. There should be a hellcat zoomer nearby, get it and got after him and don't let him get away this time."_

The line went dead and I shook my head pulling up my mask, I'm going to kill this kid when I get my hands on him. I found the hellcat and started it up, the place was mostly empty and any other zoomers that I did come across were quick to move out of my way. I needed to get to Jak before he got himself killed.

I was just exiting the docks and turning into the industrial section when I saw Jak race out with Daxter clinging to his shoulder for dear life and a group of KG not far behind. I pretended to shoot towards him but instead aimed for the cruiser that was close on his tail.

"Oops." I said as it crashed to the ground throwing the driver into the water and blocking the other KG. They all quickly came to a holt but one idiot on a hellcat zoomer still managed to drive right into the wreckage, that's two vehicles I'll have to repair. I lowered my own zoomer down to the squad and pulled down my mask.

"Nice job guys I'll take it from here."

"Officer, we have direct orders from HQ to-"

"I have direct orders from commander Erol to bring this guy in," I glared at the guard who tried to speak up, "so it's best if you all go back to your posts or else it won't be me you'll have to deal with but Barron Praxis."

There was a pause before the guard in charge of the squad flicked his hand at the others to move out. I put my mask back on and followed where Jak had gone into the Hip Hog. When I walked in he was looking quite pleased with himself and attaching a mod onto his gun.

"Hey nice scatter gun mod, was it worth almost getting your ass blown up by a bunch of KG?"

Jak just smirked, "Come on Elie I thought I was doing pretty well."

"Yeah, once I came along. Do you know how much shit this is going to put me in? You're lucky I'm quite fond of you." I sighed and followed him out to the docks, "how am I supposed to go back to HQ and explain that mess?" I said pointing over to the wreckage.

"Don't go back just yet."

"Uh huh, and what do you suggest I do then?"

"Come along with us for a while."

"**What!" **Myself and Daxter shouted in unison.

"You actually want me, to go along with you" I pointed between the two of them but Daxter just shook his head.

"No way in hell! Sorry buddy but I still don't trust this chick." The small rodent glared and crossed his arms.

"I'm with whiskers, not about me being shady or anything, but I'm not really up for being walked into another Torn Trap."

"It's nothing like that, we're just going to the soothsayer in the bazaar. But if you don't want to that's fine."

I thought about it, I was just going back to patrol in the Bazaar anyways and be bored out of my mind for the next three hours. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

"Alright I'll tag along, but try and pull any funny business and I'm gonna kick both of your asses so hard you'll be feeling it for weeks."

Daxter leaned down towards me and glared, "Ditto."

* * *

Once we were back at the Bazaar I lead them to where the soothsayer Onin's tent was, tucked into the corner of one of the squares of shops that made up the bazaar. Jak pulled back the curtain at the entrance to the tent and walked in with me following behind him.

The boys both took a minute to look around the old tent and take in the sights. Daxter immediately found something that entertained him.

"Coool! Check out all the dead stuff!" He reached a paw out to poke the colourful monkaw hanging from the roof of the tent which retaliated, to our surprise, by biting said paw.

"Touch the goods again, rat boy, and you'll be, arrkk, counting with your toes!"

Oh great another annoying talking animal.

The bird flew up into the air and over to the old women by the end of the tent and landed on some strange hat on her head.

"I am Pecker!"

I tried my best to hold back laughter since I was still trying to be pissed off at Jak but as soon as I took a look at him and Daxter I saw they were both sniggering to themselves also.

Pecker sighed "Yes, yes I know...my mother she was…very vindictive. I am Onin's interpreter."

Onin, who had almost seemed to be asleep this whole time, clapped and rubbed her hands together producing a blue fog and proceeded to 'talk' while Pecker interpreted.

"Onin welcomes you…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…the usual boring salutations. She says it is good to see you again Jak."

I raised a brow at Jak, he crossed his arms "But we've never met before."

"Before…after…it is all the same. Onin also welcomes you Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth?" Jak and Daxter both looked to me confused as a pouted and shot Pecker a sour look.

"I prefer Elie, thank you very much."

Pecker waved a wing "It is not important."

"Oh! Oh! Let me try!" Daxter bounced excitedly on Jak's shoulder "Ahhh…She wants a…She wants a Yakow bone! A Yakow bladder?! No…no…I got it! For many moons…she has…waited for…a juice pop? A jewel shop?"

Pecker who was obviously getting tired of Dexter's antics rolled his eyes and flew over to perch on a stool nearer to us.

"Oh…oh…I know, she's got a hair ball?! A hair lip? A hairy chest?"

Pecker nodded "Close…but NO! Onin says you seek answers…aarrrkk…about the Tomb of Mar."

The Tomb of Mar, what is this kid getting himself into.

"So what do we need to know?" Jak asked sounding more than a little bit fed up and bored with the whole 'Onin says' thing.

"She's going on and on about mystical energy channels, evil curses, stupid "oooooooo" crap. Forget all that," Pecker turned and pointed to Jak "I'm going to sum this up quickly because now you're cutting into my siesta time. Onin wants you to recover three artifacts from the precursor Mountain Temple." Jak and Daxter gave each other a look obviously thinking this whole thing was crazy with Daxter doing the appropriate mime. I sighed and shook my head, idiots.

"Not two! Not four! THREE!" Pecker continued "Use the warp gate at the northwest side of the city, and bring back the three items you find!" With his interpretation complete, Pecker flew back to Onin's head and shooed us out before going back to sleep.

I exited the tent in front of Jak and turned back to face him, arms crossed.

"What's got you so interested in the Tomb of Mar?"

"Well, Elizabeth, I heard that-"

"Oh shut up! It's a myth! I can't believe your risking your ass over some fairy tale! If the KG catch on to what your doing-"

"We'll be sure to inform Torn of who let slip the information!" I glared at Daxter, I really didn't like this fuzzy rat.

"They'll haul your ass back to prison."

"Relax Elie, we'll be fine wont we Dax?"

"If we keep her around any longer I wouldn't be so sure."

"Watch your mouth fur ball, because the idea of watching Krew chow down on you is very tempting." I said poking him in the stomach. "Sorry boys but I've got work to do."

"You don't honestly think you can convince me that you'd rather work then come explore outside the city walls?"

I turned to Jak "Ohh such a tempting offer but I think I'll pass, I'd rather have the quiet streets as company then this orange noise machine."

"That's it toots! Come on Jak, let's maim this back talking little girl."

Jak just shook his head. "Well then we'll leave you to it."

He turned and walked away but I could still hear Daxter say "Good riddance! It gives me a headache just looking at a Krimson guard!"

I sighed when I heard my comm. beeping. I pulled it out and checked the number. It was Erol, probably just about ready to chew me out for what happened at the port. I turned it off and shoved it back onto my belt.

"Actually you know what," Jak turned back to me "I think I will do a bit of exploring."

Jak smirked and Daxter deadpanned.

* * *

I left the hellcat zoomer behind at the bazaar and took a normal zoomer instead, I shouldn't really be taking civilians zoomers but I didn't want to attract even more attention to myself with a KG zoomer. We had a short race through the agricultural section, suggested by me and of course Jak won. I was impressed by his racing skills and even considered to think he was some match for Erol.

We pulled up outside the northwest air lock and left the zoomers. I had been here many times, not only does the warp gate bring you to the mountain temple but there is also a path to Haven Forest and I liked Haven Forest, it was just about the only peaceful place left in or near the city.

"Alright so, we get in, get the loot and get out while not getting shot in the face by metalheads." I said unclipping my gun from my back and attaching a blaster mod.

"Pretty much."

"Then let's go get 'em"

I jumped into the warp gate which lead up to the mountain in front of the city walls and waited for Jak. How was only out of the gate a few seconds before he started talking.

"Why don't you like being called Elizabeth?"

I just sighed "It's too long I prefer a shortened down version."

"Like Elie or Elle?"

I nodded "But only Torn calls me Elle."

"Which do you prefer?"

I stopped beside the lift down to the temple and put my hands on my hips, "You know kid, you ask a lot of questions."

"It builds trust apparently."

I smiled, "I prefer Elie, it has sort of a ring to it"

We both stepped onto the lift and shot at the awaiting metalheads as it descended. We then cleared up all the smaller ones in the main entrance.

"How come Torn calls you Elle?"

"Seriously are we still talking about this?"

"I'm just curious." Jak shrugged .

"I honestly couldn't tell you why, I've known Torn for years and everyone's always called me Elie so maybe it was to be different," I picked up one of the dropped skulls gems "or maybe he's just being a petty little girl and doesn't want to use the same name as Erol." I tossed Jak the gem who caught it easily. "Come on let's keep going I'll take the left and you take the right, maybe we can get this done before sunrise."

Jak nodded and we parted ways.

Obstacle number one for me was a shielded metal head.

"Ugh these guys are getting smarter and smarter." I dodged its bullets and waited for it to lower its shield just long enough for me to shoot it in the gut. I keeled over and dispersed into blobs of dark eco. I sidestepped the ooze and took care of the smaller metalheads descending the ledge just in front of me. Next was a small body of water created by a waterfall streaming down the mountain, as pretty as it was I didn't have time to stop and admire it and just made my way across the small islands of earth coming from the ground. There was a drop down into a small canyon type area with no way up the other side apart from a platform that was firmly stuck into the wall and wasn't activated. I climbed down and was about to inspect it when part of the wall was smashed away and a large ram metal head, like the one I threw into the docks, came charging out.

"Oh shit!" I ducked out of the way as it came towards me and missed but reared and turned in my direction. I feared trying to push it off the edge of the mountain would result in my eminent death although this one didn't seem to be as heavily armored its fleshy stomach was exposed. I readied my gun and rolled out of its way again, crouched and fired. It let out a roar when my bullet connected with its belly and charged again. Repeating my earlier process a few more times resulted in the giant metal monster finally giving up and dying.

I tucked some stray hair behind my ear and puffed out some air.

"I am not a big fan of those things." I mumbled to myself picking up the skull gem.

I continued to ascend the mountain and was greeted by another shielded metalhead, after quickly disposing of him I walked along a narrow dirt bridge to what looked like a dead end.

"Now what?" I said to myself before a huge rumble shook the ground. I fell to one knee and stayed low waiting for the shaking to cease and upon inspection I noticed the force had broken the bridge allowing some floating platforms to move about.

"Huh..." I stood and jumped across to the first platform, easily keeping my balance and launching myself to the next one, the third platform was moving vertically now and I just about made it and pulled myself up and then jumped back onto the mountain.

"Easy." I chimed shooting the next platform to flip it the right way around.

After some more platforms, some more metalheads and another waterfall I finally reached the room where the artifact was being 'safely' hidden. It looked to be some kind of lens judging by how it was concentrating light into the center of the room.

"Now…how to get it down." I thought leaning against one of the supports and unintentionally hitting a trigger. There was a slight tremor before the middle part of the room started to rotate and the lens slowly made its way down. I walked forward and reached a hand out to grab it, it felt extremely light and delicate and I made damn sure I wasn't going to break it on my way back to the entrance of the temple.

Just in front of the platform that would bring me back down there was a large precursor devise, to hell if I knew what it was, but I did spot fuzz ball making his way over to it while Jak stood at the side lines. I waved and he shook his head indicating to Daxter. The ottsel waddled into the middle of the device and pulled out a small gear.

"Like candy from a baby." looking quite pleased with himself he turned and waddled away again.

He was obviously totally oblivious to the destruction he had just caused. I stared in awe as the entire machine just crumbled all because of one missing gear.

"No one will ever know we were here."

Jak looked like he was about to say something but decided against it. I face palmed and walked onto the awaiting platform.

I met up with Jak and Daxter at the entrance holding out the lens triumphantly.

"You know the precursors really should have thought up some better security," I tossed the lens to Jak, "although they probably weren't expecting some nosy teenagers to come in and steel their loot."

"Trust me, I don't think they'll miss it all that much." Jak pocketed the artifacts and headed towards the only passage neither of us had been through.

"Two down, one to go." I said, pulling out my gun ready to annihilate the awaiting metal heads.

"Ellie, move!"

I quickly rolled out of the way of the charging ram head so Jak could take a clear shot at, killing it.

"I've decided I really **REALLY **hate those things, they're the biggest pain in the ass next to Erol," I said standing and brushing myself off, "and I'm really not all that happy that we're surrounded by a pool of dark, gooey instant death."

"At least that was the last one." Jak put his gun away and turned towards the newly opened gate.

"And now I can go home and take a much needed nap."

We walked into the open room where a bright blue object was hovering on a pedestal. Daxter of course walked right up to inspect and take said object. He peered over the edge at it for a moment before pulling himself up fully and strolling over to it.

"Watch yourself there captain fuzz." I warned, before he broke something else. Myself and Jak stood back as he tapped at the glass like artefact before deciding it was safe to grab.

"Wooow. This puppy's got some vibraaationnn to it…this baby will put a smile on your face!"

I rolled my eyes and turned to move out.

* * *

It was way past midnight by the time we re-entered the city and I was just aching to get home and have a very long catnap. We had ditched the zoomers in the Bazaar and walked the rest of the way.

"I'm guessing you two are heading back to the underground?"

Jak nodded "Looks like no one else needs us for today, you live here in Main Town right?"

"Yup, right next to the palace so I'm easy access. It's both convenient and a pain in the backside."

"What's it like being a Krimzon Guard anyways?"

I crossed my arms and tapped my chin, "Hmm let's see… jeopardous, malignant, pestilential, lethal…that sum it up for you?"

Jak and Daxter took a glance at each other.

"Uhhh sure. But next time try a language we can all understand toots."

I smiled and continued wandering through Main Town in the direction of my apartment where I planned to depart from the duo.

"If you picked up a book every now and then you'd be surprised how much it can broaden your vocabulary, which would be nothing less than an improvement for you."

"You know I was just kinda starting to warm up to you."

I laughed back at the ottsel and rounded a corner but immediately doubled back and pushed Jak back against the wall.

"Whats wrong?" He asked leaning around, I pulled his head back again.

"KG blockade. Damn it! I should have known those boneheads would go crying back to HQ after I shot them down, Erol's probably having a fit trying to find me. I reckon there's a few set up around the industrial section and the slums too," I pulled out my communicator to check my map, "Yup, they even have one a few yards from the hideout, lucky placement, but it still makes it impossible for you two to get back."

"Great! I knew something like this would happen if we let one of _them_ tag along for the ride!"

I turned to Daxter and glowered.

"Do you want my help or would you rather be turned into Swiss cheese? Because I can make that happen very quickly."

He gulped "Help is much appreciated."

"Good, I'm glad you realize how much shit we're in, now please follow me as quietly as you can." I escorted them to the back of my own apartment building and climbed up a ladder leading to the roof. Once I reached one of the windows to my apartment I pushed it open and slid in. I always left at least one window open, just in case. Jak followed me up with Daxter holding onto his shoulder, once he was in and shut the window I pulled the curtains and turned on the lights.

"Taadaa." I said sarcastically peeking out the window through a gap in the curtains. "Welcome to a real life, first class home in Haven City. Do make yourselves comfortable and don't go anywhere until I give the all clear." I detached my mask, throwing it on the couch and turned to leave but heard a crash from the kitchen, poking my head in I saw Daxter routing through my fridge and mumbling unhappily.

"Daxter! Get out of there!"

He fell from the shelf he was standing on but quickly recovered, brushed himself off and went to go nose around.

I only had the time from the trip down the stairs to the main entrance to think about what exactly I was going to say, but by this point lying and bending the truth were child's play. I quickly smashed my comm. unit off the wall; I'd tell Erol I tripped while in pursuit of Jak, he'll believe that. Then I went home about an hour ago after I lost him in a crowed at the slums. Yeah that works. I figured Erol would place himself in charge of the squad based in Main Town to keep an eye out for me and I was dead on. I made sure to act as though I was exhausted after a few hours of chasing a crazy experiment gone wrong and added a slight limp to complete the act.

"Elie!" Erol pushed the other KG out of the way once he saw me, he didn't look all that perky. "I've been trying to contact you since the accident at the docks, what happened? Did he get away?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, he's been hiding in my pocket this whole time. Of course he got away! As always…"

He growled slightly and turned away from me, I followed after him until he stopped and turned back.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just fell. My comm. is smashed though, which is why you couldn't get a hold of me."

"You look tired."

"You don't say." I sighed "I don't think we'll be seeing him again for a while, he's probably hiding with the underground so why don't you let these poor dunderheads get back to their patrols or whatever you had them doing?"

"Not yet," He shook his head "we have the slums blocked off with several more blockades set up throughout and none of them have seen him yet, he's still around here somewhere we just need to hold out longer than he does." He showed me a map from the screen in a hellcat, it showed even more blockades then my comm. unit did. I pursed my lips. My plan was back firing.

"Nothing for it then, but since my shift ended a while ago I'm gonna go hit the sack. Good luck catching him, but don't even think about calling me to come help, I am done." I turned on my heels and walked back to my apartment. I stopped just before the stairs and kicked the broken comm. underneath them.

I closed my door and sighed. What have I gotten myself into?

"You're back in on piece then." I looked up and saw Jak was hanging around by the window, obviously having seen the entire exchange.

"Yup, but that's just another life gone. He's going to catch on sooner or later…where's Daxter?"

Jak pointed to a pile of cushions with the orange rodent asleep on top.

"Seriously? And we're the ones who did all the running around. Actually I'm surprised that he feels comfortable enough in a KG's living establishment to actually sleep."

"He doesn't really have anything against you, you just have to understand him being so cautious when we haven't run into a single KG who hasn't shoved a gun in our faces."

"What about you then?" I said flopping onto the couch "You don't seem too bothered by me anymore, how do you know I don't plan on killing you right now?"

"If you wanted to kill me I bet you would have done it a long time ago, that or you cant."

I pouted, "Don't get too full of yourself, you may be able to block my eco attacks but never underestimate the power of a very pointy object."

He chuckled and shook his head.

"You're really not threatened by me. I'm insulted, I thought I was pretty scary."

"You're about as scary as a yakow."

"Ha ha. I suppose I should tell you, those KG aren't going anywhere until they find you. And this place, along with the slums, are surrounded. I doubt you'll be able to get back," I stood and stretched "and since Daxter's gone beyond the land of the living I suppose I'll let you crash here for tonight. Or you could chance your arm flying right over their heads."

"Pointy objects aren't the only things that cause serious injuries, bullets are pretty good at doing that too."

"I'll take that as a yes then. The spare room is down the end of the hallway, you can move Daxter down there too. Bathroom is right over there," I pointed to a door just across from us "I have my own in my room so that one's all yours."

"This looked a lot smaller from the outside, how many rooms are in here?"

He was right. From the front all of these apartments look small enough but they actually stretch back quite a lot. Mine is sort of open plan with the living room being part of the kitchen but still separate from the hallway which held all of the doors leading to two bedrooms, a bathroom and a study. There was a window which spanned the length of one entire wall in the living room at the front which looked out over the streets below.

"Not many. Now go on, I have to get rid of all this gear."

Jak scooped Daxter up, who merely mumbled, and wandered off down the hallway. I started to unclip all of my armor lifting it from my back and placing it inside a metal cabinet built into the wall of the living room which held all of my gear and weapons. I detached my mod gun from the armor and rested it against the back of the cabinet. I stretched and rolled my shoulders before removing my boots and tossing them in as well. Locking the cabinet, I went to my room and stood in front of my floor length mirror. I had a new graze on my leg, where I had narrowly dodged a metalhead bullet earlier, to go along with the bruise on my cheek from yesterday. I tugged at the arm band around my left bicep, admittedly I was a little scared to see how the damage from most recent eco shot had progressed and scared the skin, and rightly so. The veins around the affected area were darker in colour and the skin was pale, dried out and dead, but that was nothing too new. Gingerly I prodded at the paled flesh and didn't feel anything, same as usual. The scares had also darkened from a pale pink to an angry red, obviously irritated by the dark eco. I pried myself away from the mirror and removed my top, shorts and effects, placing them down on the bed. After showering thoroughly I made sure to pull on a top with long sleeves, to cover my arm, and pajama shorts. I tiptoed back out from my room and into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

I was lounging around on the couch watching TV when I heard the door to the living room open.

"Didn't you want to sleep?" Jak said poking his head in.

I shrugged, "Just thinking."

About what?" He came in and sat down next to me. I put my glass of water on the coffee table and turned to him.

"How come you're able to channel eco the way you do?"

Jak looked at me for a minute before sighing. "I don't know"

I growled "No matter what I look into I just can't figure this out, and it's annoying, I don't like not being able to figure things out. I just can't stop thinking about it and until I solve this big mess I'm not going to be able to leave it be."

"I still don't get why you're so concerned about it?"

"If I can understand this ability better, then maybe I can control it better…I might also be able …no probably not."

"Is that why you hardly use it? You're worried about your control?"

I shook my head "No, I know my limits with it. But since the dark eco…if I can understand how it effects my red eco, I'll feel a lot better."

"I can't believe you'd subdue yourself to that. What were you thinking?"

I gave Jak an icy stare "I'll tell you exactly what I was thinking. Haven is my home as far as anyone is concerned. I grew up here, I have friends here and I know the streets better than anyone else. I'm not going to simply let the metalheads run wild and destroy all I have left. Ever since I started learning to control my eco I swore I would do anything to protect this city and everyone in it, even if that means submitting to extremes!"

Jak just stared at me when I had finished my little outburst. I turned away.

"I understand where you're coming from Elie but…you're destroying yourself in the process."

"So be it."

"No, you're afraid aren't you."

It was more of a statement then a question. I scoffed "Look who's concerned all of a sudden. Sorry sunshine but I know how to take care of myself."

"Give me your hand."

I turned my head to look at him and raised a brow, "Why?"

"I want to try something."

I rolled my eyes but placed my palm on top of his. He closed his fingers around my hand, "Use some of your eco."

"Are you sure? Because I'm really thinking about crushing your hand right now."

"Yes I'm sure."

I let some of my red eco flow into my palm which gave off a soft orange glow, I cringed at the small sparks of dark eco jumping around among the otherwise pure eco. Jak had yet to do anything.

"So what the point in all of thi-" My breath caught in my throat as I felt the power from my eco being quickly drained from my body. I felt tired and very weak all of a sudden. I started shaking and my eyes widened as I pulled my hand away.

"Stop doing that!" I held my hand to my chest and tried to calm my breathing.

"That frightened you though didn't it? You're afraid of being left powerless."

I was still breathing heavily and just staring at him. This boy, who had just happened to drop out of the sky, which I know nothing about and who seems to know way too much about me, is able to do two things no one has been able to do my entire life. One, he can just take my eco from me, just like that. And two, he doesn't buy any bullshit I dish out.

"I'll ask again, why are you so concerned about me? Aren't I just another one of the Barons pawns?"

"You said it yourself, we're almost on the same boat."

"Almost," There was silence for a while only broken by a yawn escaping me. "I don't know about you but I am beat, so, maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"

"It's likely."

I winked and walked back to my room, turning the heat up full blast on my way in. I shut the door and flopped onto my bed pulling the covers up to my chin. I was still feeling light headed from how quickly Jak had drained my eco. I frowned and turned onto my said.

"What an asshole." I mumbled to myself drifting off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hah looks who's alive…**

**Forgive me?**

**c:**

* * *

It was nice to be able to wake up by my own accord for once, things had been so hectic that I hadn't gotten to sleep in in who knows how long. Not being woken up by a phone call or comm. unit at some ungodly hour was something I could get used to, again. I could have stayed in bed forever, all wrapped up cosy and warm; alas the day must go on. I stretched, rolled out of bed and padded to the door. I honestly wasn't expecting to be hit with such a fierce wall of cold air when I opened my door though. I quickly shut it again and regretted ever getting up. I took a minute to psyche myself out before trying again, I needed to find the source of this evil icy air. I slipped one arm out around my door to reach the pad on the wall which controlled the temperature and turned it up as far as I could. Wait, wasn't there a blanket on the couch? Maybe if I made a run for it I would suffer minimal damage. I shot out of my room and slid down the hallway bursting into the living room and stopping in my tracks. Erol stared at me from the couch, a brow raised. I leaned my head against the door frame and groaned.

"Why are you here!?"

"Well good morning to you too."

"If you're here to drag me to work you've got another thing coming!"

"I'm not here to drag you anywhere."

"Then back to my original question, why are you here?" I asked walking up to the couch and acquiring the blanket.

He tapped at a red case on the coffee table in front of him, "I came to give you this."

I quickly snatched up the case and sat down next to him pulling the lid off and staring at the contents.

"Uh…a glove? Why only one?"

"It's an eco-amplifier, a red eco amplifier to be exact."

"And you trust me with this?" I smiled and pulled the item out from the case. It felt like a normal glove to me, just heavier, but only slightly. Looking on the inside revealed what looked like metal plates connected to a device which I would have to pick apart later to have a good look at. The glove itself was black with a grey band around the wrist and red grips on the palms to accommodate for all the climbing I do. It also had three clear vein-like lines on the top which seemed to be attached to the metal device on the inside.

"You can keep it once you promise not to kill anyone, but it's only a sort of prototype for something much better, we just want to see if this works."

"Ohh, now I'm excited. How does it work?"

Erol put his hand out for the glove and flipped it inside out "You see that metal? It's attached to the amplifier there and that's what attracts and conducts the red eco giving it almost double the strength, you'd be best to ask someone else how it works exactly, but that's the basic idea. It's also made out of a reinforced material so it won't rip too easily. The reason only two of the fingers are missing is because the material doesn't allow for much of a touch reception so this will make it easier for you to hold things and shoot a gun."

I smiled giddily wanting to test it out and reaching for it. "How is the conductor powered?"

"Dark eco."

My smile fell and I sighed, "Makes sense." I almost forgot all about the device in my hand when I felt a breeze coming from the wide open window at the front of the room. Looking around I noticed most of the windows open.

"Did you open them?" I questioned frowning.

Erol seemed to hesitate before nodding. I hit him with a pillow and jumped up to close them all. The source of the cold menace was now defeated.

"Bastard, you know I don't function well in the cold! Why would you do that to me!?"

"It was like a volcano in here."

"It's always like that!"

"It's a good thing no one actually lives with you or you'd end up cooking them alive."

Then I remembered my 'visitors' last night. I swiftly made my way out of the living room and down the hall taking a quick look into the spare bedroom. Thank Mar they had already left, it must be pretty late then, I hadn't thought to check the time this morning.

"Elie are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" I called back heading into my room and finding something to change into and out of my pyjamas. I walked back into the living room, ignoring Erol's confused glance, and slipped on the glove. The clear veins began to glow a yellowish orange colour immediately.

"Awesome." I mused curling my fingers in and releasing some eco. Instead of the eco staying on my hand like I intended, it almost enveloped my whole arm with very little effort. I beamed and held it out. "This is amazing! I'm hardly even using any eco!"

"I'll be honest I didn't expect it to work right away, The Barron will be happy to hear this."

"What does he care about how well I can fight anyways?" I pulled off the glove and laid it on the coffee table. "It's not like one less Krimzon Guard is going to make much of a difference in man power, because either way there's cracks in the shield and the metal heads are finding them. Eventually it's going to come down altogether."

"Well you're being awfully optimistic."

"Oh shut it."

An alert came from Erol's comm. unit and he scanned over it quickly before glancing at me.

"…what?"

"Get your gear on."

"Why?"

"Because, we're going to the palace."

"WE'RE WHAT!?"

* * *

"You said you weren't going to drag me anywhere, I thought I finally had a day to myself again after so freaking long, I absolutely hate you right now." I mumbled angrily at Erol, arms crossed, as the lift to the throne room ascended.

"I'm sorry Elie but it's really not my fault, Barons orders."

"You're like his pet or something…why are we here again?"

Erol sighed "It seems the metalhead leader has a few questions, or demands rather."

"And I'm needed becaaause?"

"The Baron needs to assess your new enhancement."

I looked at the glove on my hand "I don't like that word 'enhancement', especially when it's used towards me."

Erol's expression hardened as the lift door opened up into the throne room where our good Baron was waiting. Personally I think the whole throne room thing, complete with actual throne, is a bit over the top. In fact even calling this place a palace is over the top. Erol pushed me forward slightly to get me walking and I fell in step behind him as we made our way across the long room. There were no proper greetings exchanged once we reached the throne where the Baron stood waiting, we all know the drill at this point. Myself and Erol stood at the bottom of the steps leading to the throne, in front of Baron Praxis, waiting for the Metalhead leader to establish contact.

"I really hate this guy." I whispered at Erol, he shook his head.

"We all do."

"I mean seriously can't he get his own eco? It's bad enough we're running low ourselves never mind having to-"

"Elizabeth!"

I winced at the Barons impatient shout deciding it was time to stay quiet.

We didn't have to wait very long for the hologram of the nasty looking king metalhead himself to appear, and he looked pissed as always. Out of pure force of habit I placed my hand on the pistol at my side even though I knew this hologram couldn't do anything to us, I'll admit he was a frightening sight and I hoped I never had to come face to face with him.

"So tell me, why is it that I haven't seen your part of the deal as of yet Baron Praxis? I hope you're not planning on giving up just yet." He was straight to the point, and that booming, distorted voice put me even more on edge.

"I've told you, I will have more eco by week's end. We'll transport it directly to your nest as promised." Baron Praxis was obviously trying to stay calm and in control, acting respectful to the representation of the monster in front of us.

"A deal is of no value if you can't deliver, my dear Baron. I grow impatient with your puny gestures. Give me the agreed upon eco soon, or the deal is off and your precious city will pay the price!"

I let out the breath I didn't even realise I was holding once the hologram had disappeared. I glanced at Erol who did not look happy and he turned quickly to the Baron who was now standing beside a nearby window looking out over his city. Or dead city rather.

"He's toying with us! Let me lead an assault on the nest before it's too late! I can take him!" Erol declared, fists clenched.

"Patience, commander. No one has ever penetrated the metal head nest, you know that. I've seen what comes of such foolish plans. No! Strength is their weakness…We play helpless…we train them to eat from our hands, and then…" The Baron glanced at me as I strolled over to stand beside Erol. I didn't like that look but whatever he was thinking was quickly banished from verbalisation. "Move forward with the plan! Tell Ashelin to up her patrols. I want that Tomb found!"

You have got to be kidding me, what is with people and the Tomb of Mar lately!

"But your daughter has not been…agreeable."

"Agggg…I'll see to that problem. One way or another…And find that child! If you'd spend half as much time looking for the little brat as you spend flirting with that mechanic girl we would have pinned his royal ass to a wall long ago"

I sniggered at Erol and nudged him in the ribs resulting in a glare.

"As you wish, with enough persuasion, I'm sure our spy will-" There was a sudden noise from above us and it wasn't just the rain hitting the windows up there. Erol and I both drew our guns and pointed them in the direction of the sound.

"What was that?!" Erol shouted looking around furiously.

"Fucking hell, if you're going to have such important conversations in here you would think you could at least make it sound proof!" When nothing came into view I holstered my pistol but Erol kept his drawn.

"You two stay here, I'll take care of this." Praxis stormed out of the throne room heading towards the roof.

"Erol, you can put that away now." I nodded my head at his gun and he placed it back in its holster.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"Oh trust me so do I, I hope the Baron doesn't decide to use that monstrosity he calls a machine. Honestly it's nowhere near sturdy enough to take down anything! He'll probably end up getting himself and a sizable portion or the ceiling blown up." And of course, as if on cue, a loud explosion sounded from the roof.

"This day just goes from bad to worse!" I groaned following Erol to the door but before I could step out after him however he turned and pointed to me.

"Stay here and keep watch."

"What! No way that's no fun!"

"Elie, that's an order!"

I grumbled and sat down on the steps. Another explosion went off but this time it shook the place slightly.

* * *

"Damn it! Here I am with this brand new equipment and what do they have me doing? Standing guard in an almost impossible to penetrate palace." Almost impossible because while someone was on the roof, I doubt they had much chance of actually getting inside. When a third explosion sounded some seconds later I had had enough of sitting around. I made my way into the same lift the Baron had taken to the roof and slowly walked out around a corner once it reached the top. It was raining pretty heavily and I was soaked within seconds. It was a mess up here with debris and discarded ammunition all over the ground. Whoever was up here had a mod gun and I had a notion as to who it might be. Yet again there was an explosion a little further down and this time I could see the Barons machine spinning out of control. I risked a quick peek around the corner and of course spotted Jak running after him. I had to take a deep breath so I wouldn't end up shooting him myself. There was nothing I could do for him up here, if he got shot I couldn't help him without showing my own questionable loyalties to the Baron. He was on his own.

I stormed out of the palace and nearly ran right into Erol on my way out who was leading a group of KG, clad in yellow and red suits like his own, towards the throne room.

"Elie, where are you going!?"

"Anywhere but here!" I shouted back, I would regret that later but right now I was pissed beyond words. I quickly found myself a hell cat zoomer and made a beeline for the underground hideout. I left the zoomer a good distance from the hideout and was careful to stay hidden from the other KG. I didn't even stop to think about exactly what I was going to do I just stomped right in pulling my goggles off of my head and as soon as I saw Jak, proceeding to fling them at him.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?" I walked right up into his face jabbing a finger at his chest "Are you fucking insane! You were about to get yourself killed up there! What are you even thinking climbing all that way up to the palace! What is wrong with you!"

Jak seemed startled at first but a stern look slowly made its way across his features. He grabbed my wrist and pushed my arm down.

"Elie." He said calmly.

I was going to say something else when I noticed the red eco crawling around my hand, dark eco also painfully obvious. That snapped me back to reality, I pulled my wrist back and crossed my arms.

"You really out did yourself this time Kid."

"Oh please," Daxter said, rolling his eyes "we already got this lecture from him" He jabbed a paw over at Torn who did not look happy.

"Oh," I winced "this is awkward." It was only then that I noticed we weren't the only ones present in the hideout. An old man with long blue robs a walking stick and a white beard stood next to Torn. And to my surprise and slight disappointment, a small kid, probably no older than five at best guess, poked his head out from behind the old man's legs.

"And why is it that a Krimzon Guard knows the location of this hideout, Torn?" The old guy questioned bringing my attention back to him.

"Who's askin'?" I replied haughtily.

"You are in no position to be asking questions young lady."

"Oh yeah?" I slammed my hands down on the table, the only thing in-between me and the old man, and was about to show this guy who he was messing with but Torn just had to cut in with a sigh.

"Kor this is Elizabeth-"

"Elie."

"She's an ex-underground member, no doubt you've seen her around the city. You don't have to worry about her."

I crossed my arms and took a good long look at this guy Kor. He seemed familiar, maybe I had seen him a few years ago. I brushed it off and turned my head back to the kid. As soon as I turned my attention to him however, he ducked back into his hiding place. No doubt my loud entrance frightened him, not to mention the KG uniform which he's probably learned to fear. I walked around the table and bent down to his level when he got brave and stuck his head out again.

"Hey there Kiddo." I greeted him happily, but he still wasn't buying it. I drowned out the conversation going on around me as I sat and tried to befriend the kid. It wasn't going well.

"You're probably scaring him."

"Huh" I looked up at Torn, noting that Jak and Daxter had left, and he motioned to the mask still covering half of my face.

"Ohh…that's probably not going to make much of a difference." I pulled it off anyway and sighed. "Why is a kid like him here? Where did you find him?"

"Wandering the streets."

I stared at Torn in shock for a moment. "What was he doing wandering around this shi…this place?"

Kor grunted "Look at the seal around his neck, that should tell you."

I took a look at the precursor artefact in question and raised a brow.

"So the kid has a fancy precursor seal, so what?"

"It's the seal of Mar, Elle. I thought you of all people would know that," Torn said, shaking his head.

"Well I'm sorry if the House of Mar isn't my main interest right now. Anyway, why's the kid got that?" I frowned but was soon hit with sudden realisation "He's the heir to the throne!"

"Well done."

"Oh can it." I stood up and leaned on the table, absentmindedly scanning over the notes and map sprawled across it., "Heir to the throne or not, I don't like the thoughts of him being here."

"We have no other choice, hiding him in plain sight has been working so far, besides no one would suspect we're guarding him since he's looked after by Kor."

"That's really not very reassuring Torn."

"Do you want him to be held up in the palace then? Like you were? We all know how that ended."

"And, we would be putting him right into the Barons hands, allowing him to continue his terrible rule over this city." Kor added.

I sighed "Yeah, I get it. The kid needs to be hidden. But that doesn't stop me from being concerned."

"Trust us Elle, he's better here than anywhere else. You know what happens to people once Praxis gets a hold of them." Torn let out an exasperated sigh "Yet you choose to stay in the guard."

"Hey it's not that easy alright! You had nothing to lose by leaving."

"Nothing to lose? What could you possibly have to lose!"

"You know damn well what I have to lose!" I shouted glaring at Torn. I was aware of Kor listening to all of this and didn't want to continue with where it was going. I stayed silent after that and turned my attention back down to the table.

"Well, I believe it is time for me to take my leave." Kor said his goodbyes, which was a slight push of the kid, and made his way out.

"Oh wait, hey kid." I called out to the little guy and bent down. Rummaging around in my pocket I found what I was looking for. I held my hand out to him offering him up a small candy, I tend to keep a few with me for boredom sake.

He gave a questioning look to Kor and then shyly walked over and took my offering with a small smile. I watched him leave and stood up, shoving my hands into my pockets

"Don't let the Baron get him." I said turning to face Torn.

"You coming here didn't help, you haven't been here in years so what brought you along so suddenly?"

"Blinding anger and a hard skull."

"You should learn to watch your own tail instead of worrying about everyone else's for once, I hear things have been getting tough with the metalheads."

I leaned my hands on the table and hung my head, "You have no idea. Its suicide missions between keeping the metalheads back and looking for, what I can now assume to be, clues to finding Mar's tomb."

"Ashelin's been sayin' the same thing, but what's got the Barron so interested in Mar's tomb lately?"

I shook my head "Precursors know. He's probably looking for something to help in dealing with our pest problem."

Torn grunted, "Yeah, and what's with this dark eco trade the Barons got going on?"

"Ugh, I've said too much. This isn't really cat and mouse if I just _give_ you all the answers. That just takes away from the fun."

"Fun? So this is still just a game to you then?", Torn said pointing an accusing finger at me, " You talk about having something to lose but you seem quite content to let my men run around as contestants in your little games."

"Hey! It's your men who are idiotic enough to get caught or shot down and normally not by me. It was when you finally sent out a challenge that it started to become entertaining."

"I thought you were all about protecting this city and the people in it, and that being with the Krimzon Guard was just a sure fire way to kill two birds with one stone. You're getting the info that you need and you're at the top of the food chain. So why act like another one of those low life guards who you grew up despising? Why use your powers for something as immature as 'entertainment' in a time like this? What happened to helping people?"

"I **am** helping! Maybe not in the way you expect me to but I'm doing all I can!"

Torn slammed his hands down onto the table, disturbing some of the paperwork.

"From here, all you seem to be doing is toying with us. You're putting yourself and the underground in danger with your little "cat and mouse" bullshit."

"So what if I want to have a little fun on the side, that never bothered anyone before."

"Before, your life wasn't seriously on the line. You're obviously not even aware of the fact that-"

Torn cut himself off when we heard the door slide open followed by a groan from Daxter followed by, what I'm pretty sure was a "not again". He then leapt from Jak's shoulder and made a scene of walking over to us, swinging out of the ladders to the bunks as he went and clambering up onto the table.

Torn sighed and started to shuffle some papers around. I wasn't letting him get out of this so easily though and once these two had their mission and I had finished dealing with my own matters for the day, I was going to find out exactly what it was that I was so undereducated on.

"Scouts report movement in Dead Town. Creatures moving towards the sacred sight, Just as before." Torn chanced a sideways glance at me as I looked down at my feet, this wasn't something I enjoyed reliving.

"What happened…ah, before?"

"Metal Heads broke through the old city wall. We fought them but then the Baron pulled back leaving everyone outside the new barrier to die. Only the Shadow stayed and somehow stopped the attack."

"And now you expect us to go out there again?" Jak seemed slightly pissed at the implication of Torn not being too concerned about what happened before, only to send people out there again. Although it may not be as infested as it was that time, it still wasn't a very careful move.

"You catch on fast. If you prevent the Metal Heads from reaching the Sacred Site, the Shadow will be…most grateful. He might even ask to see you."

"Woah woah woah," I put my hand up to stop Torn so I might get a word in on this "What on earth makes you think sending someone out there, an outsider no less, is a good idea?"

"Jak's the best man we've got for this, Elle."

"And therein lies my problem." I lowered my voice and moved over closer to Torn. "What are you thinking sending **him **to that place? Show some respect."

"I'm pretty sure letting that area be destroyed even further by Metal Heads is a higher form of disrespect. We're supposed to be guarding it."

"Then why don't you go?"

"I've got more important shit to take care of."

"_Excuse me!" _

"Elle tone it down."

"Are you fucking kidding me!"

"Oh jeez, do we have to break you two up **again**!?" Daxter had jumped onto the table and was staring both of us down, not very intimidating really.

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave one last look at Torn before turning around.

"Hey, if you're so against me going out to that old dump why not go yourself?"

I bristled at Jak's rather tasteless comment about such an important place but chose to not rise to the challenge, again.

"I was just leaving actually; Erol will be looking for me."

"Snuck off again?"

"No," I shot Jak a look "He saw me leave, or rather, storm out of the palace. But I still have some new hardware to show off so I'll be needed back there pronto if I want to go home with all my limbs attached."

"Hey Elle," Torn called out to me before I could leave. I turned to him a raised a brow waiting for him to continue although I could take a guess at where this was going. "If you're up for it, when you're done, these two could really use some help out in the field with the way things are lining up."

I considered this for a moment, I was hoping for a relaxing day off but that was pretty much thrown out the window with the amount of crap that had already been thrown my way today. Not to mention helping underground members in broad day light was risky at the least, but also a bit of a challenge. I enjoyed challenges.

"I'll think about it, can't make any promises though. I'm sure you two can handle things without me though right?"

"Of course, we don't need no help from some Krimzon Guard chick." Daxter stated hopping back up onto Jak's shoulder. The little orange fuzz obviously still hadn't warmed up to me much, despite emptying half the contents of my fridge last night.

I gave an open shrug and backed out as Torn began giving more orders to the two boys.

I had to pick my way through the streets and back to my zoomer carefully, Erol probably already had other guards out looking for me. Either he's genuinely worried about me or there's something else bugging him. Lately I have been noticing an increase in his want for knowledge over where I am and have been. Usually he was fine with letting me roam around so long as I didn't cause any trouble. He needs to chill either way, I can take care of myself.

I found my zoomer, after not really remembering where I had discarded it in my fit of rage, and sped off back to the palace. I was really pushing it with this disappearing thing though. Good thing I hadn't picked up a new comm. unit today.

I left my zoomer off to the side and crept back into the palace. I took a quick peek around the door before deciding it was safe enough to get maybe half way into the palace before I had to talk my way out of this.

Oh how wrong I was.

"Officer Elizabeth."

I raised my eyes to the heavens at the mention of the title and turned to face a rather scrawny looking newbie. They stuck out like a sore thumb, none of them having earned the right to don a full set of Krimzon guard armour yet. And I swear if you looked hard enough you could see them trembling.

"Can I help you?" I asked, resting a hand on my hip. I may not be much older than most of these boys, but the higher title is always a slight scare factor for them, and the ones that know I'm close to Erol wouldn't even dare a glance at me. It's rather amusing.

"Uhm...t-the Baron has requested that my team be sent to...uh…to…"

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose, these children were infuriating sometimes.

"The Barons looking for me, correct?"

The newbie hesitated but then nodded furiously.

"Ok, consider your message delivered. So now run along back to whoever gave you your orders and tell them mission complete alright? And while you're at it, round up the rest of your team and try doing something a little more productive, understood?"

"Y-yes ma'am."

The trainee guard scampered off as if I had threatened to rip his entrails from his very being. As amusing and annoying as they could be, it was just nice to actually be looked up to rather than down upon every so often. I trekked to the elevator and dreaded arriving at the top. Being tested on new abilities was never fun. Back in my early days as a KG I used to be put through test after test to see just how useful I could be. It was a horrible experience at first; I would train for hours and hours and not get very far. Meeting the needs of the KG was very different to those of the Underground. In the Underground it was about stealth and using ones strength against them considering how small I am. But here I'm simply used for my eco and at such a young age I was only just learning to control its distribution, making it difficult to comply with what was set up for me.

Now days, the things I went through as a young teen are easy, but even so being stuck back in that "training room" still makes me uncomfortable, the same sort of uncomfortable brought on by being in the lab.

The lift came to a halt and the doors quickly slid open. About five feet away from me stood Erol, not looking happy…as was expected I suppose.

He didn't say anything to me but stood to the side allowing me to approach where the Baron was waiting.

"Nice of you to show up again, officer." The Baron addressed me calmly which was never a good thing after doing what I just did. That was pent up anger which I just knew was going to be taken out on me either in this test or my next training session. Or even worse, while on a mission.

Today obviously wasn't the day for anymore snark so I took a page from Erol's book and showed some reluctant respect.

"I apologize, it won't happen again I assure you." I bowed my head and glance at Erol off to the side. He was standing with his arms crossed. His expression was approving of my chosen course of action but I could tell he still had an earful to give me.

The Baron nodded and walked away to presumably make some final preparations for my test.

I was only given a fraction of a second to breath before Erol stormed over and grabbed my arm.

"Pull something like that again and I'm not going to cover for you!"

"Be my guest! I'll have much more fun running back to the underground anyways!"

"Don't push it!"

I ripped my arm out of his grip and glared up at him, he was almost a good foot taller than me and it could be intimidating when he was really enraged, especially when it was directed at me.

"Go out there right now and perform up to the slandered that is expected of you, are we clear?"

"I don't do order-"

"**Now**, Elizabeth."

Although when other people used my full name against me there would be some initial shock, Erol using my full name was something that never happened. I can only think back to one other time he has called me Elizabeth and it wasn't a fun time. I stood where I was, slightly frozen to the spot but refused to let shock show in my features so I quickly willed myself to turn around and leave.

He wants high standards? Fine, that's exactly what they're going to see.

* * *

**Hopefully I've been doing well so far and you've all picked up the fact that Elie may be book smart but she's still slightly immature in the way she handles her job and responsibilities. She's also quite trusting and very trustworthy herself which makes it easy for her to get stuff done anywhere she can, that includes the underground (even if she has little disputes with Torn, they never last long) I also wanted to fit in a bit of how she's taking this whole dark eco thing. To fit in with her character outwardly she tends to brush it off, even the angry outbursts, but inwardly she is afraid of it like what we saw last chapter when she had her little talk with Jak.**

**Anywho, I hope I've been getting her character and mind set across the right way. Plus I'm extremely sorry about the delay, I had some computer issues which are all sorted now so I should be able to post a little more regularly if my thought process allows for it.**

**I'm honestly not too happy with a lot of this chapter but I was really glad to get some sort of actual anger between Erol and Elie into it. His personality is only going to go downhill from here. I know some people were kind of on the Erol and Elie ship but nooooope. Not gonna happen I'm sorry. There's more of a brother sister thing going on with them and Elie's 17, if I had to guess I would say Erol's in his mid to late 20's. That's kind of a big difference. For the sake of the fic though I'm saying Erol's 28. Sue me.**

**BTW who likes the new cover? I wasn't really to bothered with a cover for a while since normally when I read Fic's its on the mobile site so they dont't even show up and it never crossed my mind. But I drew this really nice picture of Elie a while ago and decided it would make a nice cover~ Of course that's only a fraction of it but it still looks nice right?**


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